Shrimp Feed Prices Rise Again, Farmers Under Pressure
Shrimp farmers in Andhra Pradesh are facing another increase in production costs as feed prices continue to rise. With shrimp selling prices remaining unsatisfactory, the growing cost of inputs is putting additional pressure on farmers cultivating both tiger shrimp and vannamei.
Feed prices have reportedly increased four times since the beginning of 2026. Farmers in coastal mandals such as Kota, Chillakur, Vakadu and Chittamur in the Nellore region are among those affected. After several years of financial losses, many farmers had hoped that the current year would bring some relief. Instead, repeated feed price increases are making it harder to recover their investments.
The latest increase follows an earlier hike of up to ₹12,000 per tonne, adding another burden for farmers who are already managing electricity charges, seed costs and other cultivation expenses.
Shrimp Feed Prices Have Increased Four Times in 2026
Shrimp feed prices have reportedly risen several times this year, increasing the cost of one of the most significant recurring inputs in shrimp farming.
The available price figures show the following changes for tiger shrimp and vannamei feed:
Period Tiger shrimp feed (per tonne) Vannamei feed (per tonne) February 2026 ₹99,610 ₹89,520 June 2026 ₹1,11,610 ₹99,530 September 2026 ₹1,21,610 ₹1,85,035* Latest quoted price ₹1,22,610 ₹1,75,030* The vannamei figures for September and the latest period are inconsistent in the supplied information and require confirmation. The latest quoted tiger shrimp feed price stands at ₹1,22,610 per tonne, compared with ₹1,11,610 in June. This represents an increase of ₹11,000 per tonne over that period. The latest vannamei feed price has been quoted at ₹1,75,030 per tonne, compared with ₹99,530 in June. However, because the supplied figures contain a discrepancy, the exact increase should be confirmed with feed suppliers before being used for financial calculations. Farmers Face a Double Burden Rising feed prices are becoming more difficult to manage because shrimp selling prices have not increased sufficiently to offset the additional expenditure, according to farmers' accounts. For shrimp producers, profitability depends on the relationship between total cultivation costs and the revenue earned at harvest. When feed becomes more expensive while the selling price of shrimp remains weak, the margin available to cover other expenses can shrink considerably. Farmers are also dealing with electricity charges and the cost of shrimp seed and pond management. These expenses continue throughout the crop cycle, regardless of whether market prices provide adequate returns. The combination of higher input costs and unsatisfactory shrimp prices is creating uncertainty for farmers who entered the current season hoping to recover losses from previous years. Why Feed Price Increases MatterFeed is a major component of shrimp farming expenditure. Any significant increase affects the investment required to complete a crop, particularly in farms where large quantities of feed are needed as shrimp biomass increases. Higher feed prices also make feed management more important. Farmers need to monitor feed consumption, shrimp growth, feed-tray response and feed conversion ratio (FCR) to understand how efficiently feed is being converted into shrimp biomass. However, reducing feed without assessing shrimp growth and feeding behaviour can be counterproductive. Insufficient feeding may slow growth and affect the final harvest, potentially creating further financial losses. Farmers should therefore base feeding decisions on actual pond conditions, shrimp biomass, growth and feed response rather than making sudden reductions simply because feed prices have increased. Even efficient feeding practices, however, cannot fully compensate for a substantial rise in input costs when farm-gate shrimp prices remain weak. Coastal Shrimp Farmers Call for SupportThe repeated increases have raised concerns among farmers in the coastal aquaculture belt of the Nellore region. Vijayasarathi Reddy of Vidyanagar expressed concern that feed prices had increased several times within a single year, making it increasingly difficult to continue shrimp farming under the prevailing conditions. He called for government intervention and indicated that farmers might have to consider alternatives if the situation continued. Venkatakrishnaiah of Uttam Nellore also highlighted the difficulty of managing cultivation costs when shrimp prices remain low. According to him, farmers are struggling to recover their investments despite putting considerable effort into raising their crops. Their concerns point to a larger challenge for shrimp aquaculture: farmers have limited control over both feed prices and the prices they receive for harvested shrimp, yet these two factors directly influence crop profitability. What Does This Mean for the Next Shrimp Crop? Continued increases in feed prices could influence farmers' decisions on stocking, crop investment and production planning. Some may become more cautious about the amount of capital committed to a new crop, particularly if expected selling prices do not justify the additional expenditure. Before beginning another crop, farmers need to assess feed costs alongside seed quality, stocking density, expected survival, growth performance, harvest size and market conditions. A realistic crop budget can help estimate the minimum selling price required to cover production expenses. At the same time, feed price increases are an industry-level concern that cannot be addressed through farm management alone. Greater transparency in pricing and closer attention to the relationship between input costs and farm-gate returns remain important for the sector. Conclusion Repeated shrimp feed price increases are adding further pressure to Andhra Pradesh's aquaculture farmers in 2026. Tiger shrimp feed has reportedly reached ₹1,22,610 per tonne, while the latest quoted vannamei feed price is ₹1,75,030 per tonne, although the latter figure requires verification. With feed costs rising and shrimp selling prices remaining unsatisfactory, farmers face a difficult balance between maintaining crop performance and controlling expenditure. Their ability to recover will depend on production efficiency, market prices and whether input costs become more manageable. For many shrimp farmers, the key concern is no longer just how much shrimp they can produce, but whether the price received at harvest will be enough to cover the growing cost of producing it. |
