An Insight into Challenges and Constraints of Penaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) Farming Along the Coastal Districts of West Bengal, India

Penaeus vannamei farming emerged as one of the most lucrative cultured crustaceans farmed throughout the globe. It accounts for 94.5 % of the total shrimp aquaculture production in India. West Bengal with 6069 ha area under culture recorded 46021 MT P. vannamei production in 2022-23. Despite this surge, this sector is currently undergoing several hurdles in recent years. This study was initiated to identify those constraints, which can hinder the growth of this field. Study was conducted in three costal districts of West Bengal i.e., Purba Medinipur, South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas. From each district three blocks were selected purposively. Ten farmers from each block were chosen using a simple random sampling method, resulting in a total sample size of 90 respondents. Personal interview schedule with well-structured and a pre-tested questionnaire was carried out to determine the constraints. Henry Garrett's ranking technique was employed to rank the identified constraints. Study revealed the survivability constraints as major obstacle, followed by marketing constraints, credit and financial constraints, seed constraints, feed constraints, management constraints and operational constraints. In addition, seven main constraints were subdivided into several segments to identify the root causes. Addressing these challenges in a comprehensive and coordinated way the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of P. vannamei farming in West Bengal can be effectively improved.