STATUS OF Macrobrachium rosenbergii FARMING IN VIRGINIA 2019

A combination of factors resulted in a drastic decline in freshwater shrimp pond culture in Virginia during the 2019 growing season.  The factors included: more profitable alternative farm activities, sourcing juvenile shrimp for stocking, identifying feed supplies, labor, unfulfilled production levels, regulatory unknowns and marketing.  Early industry expansion during the 2000s was due to encouragement by Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Aquafarmers Network (VAN) and funding through the Tobacco Buyout Program.  Educational workshops promoted best shrimp production management and stimulated interest among tobacco farmers evaluating alternative crops.  Extension also provided stocking services to widely located producers in order to demonstrate success for the new crop, especially in tobacco growing counties.  VAN also received economic stimulus grants to subsidized member purchase of feed.  Shrimp production peaked in 2009 with two local shrimp nurseries and more than 25 production ponds varying in size from 0.05-1.0 ha generating annual sales in excess of $240,000.  

In 2019 three major producers with 3 hectares of production ended operation.  This followed the loss of multiple producers with more than 4 hectares of production after 2017-18.  For economic reasons, some producers had to take off-farm jobs or expand existing tobacco production.  Departure from shrimp was also due to farmer health/age, buyer-seller personality conflicts, poor pond drainage, labor, discouraging returns from minimal wholesale-market margins and low yields due to poor management (water quality, excess filamentous algae, wild-fish competition). The late commitment by traditional supplier to have available juveniles delayed several farmers from planning in time for pond preparation.   A major feed supplier no long distributes sinking catfish pellets.  Virginia State University is assessing alternative, less expensive nutrient sources to lower production costs to enable farmers to continue profitable shrimp production.

Presently, one producer remains in Virginia with the existing shrimp nursery supplying juveniles to producers in North Carolina.