Vijayawada: The state government will strive hard to protect the interests of aqua farmers across the state and the four important sections — aqua farmers, traders of seed and feed and exporters —should work in coordination to over the present crisis, said agriculture, cooperation, marketing animal husbandry, dairy development and fisheries K Atchennaidu.

Addressing the stakeholders of aquaculture, including the farmers, traders and officials of the fisheries against the backdrop of heavy tariffs by the US here along with Deputy Speaker K Raghurama Krishna Raju on Monday, the minister said that the government was contemplating a plan to form a committee with the stakeholders on the lines of National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) in the poultry sector to increase domestic consumption instead of depending upon the foreign exports.

Atchannaidu assured the aqua farmers and exporters not worry over the American tariffs and the government was thinking of alternative ways.

The minister said that the fisheries sector has been playing a major role in the GSDP of the state.

He recalled that the government had already announced subsidy on power tariff and the power would be supplied to the aqua farmers at Rs 1.5 per unit. He appealed to the aqua farmers to get registered with the government to avail government facilities. The government has been holding talks with the feed manufacturers to reduce the feed price.

Raghurama krishna Raju assured the farmers that the problem could be solved with mutual cooperation. He underlined the importance of domestic consumption of prawns to avoid dependence on exports.

The eating of prawns would help increase of good cholesterol, he pointed out. The Deputy Speaker said that the government would hold talks with the Centre to include prawns in the Army menu.

Ex-officio special chief secretary B Rajasekhar stressed the importance of converting the crisis into an opportunity to overcome the problem. The American tariff was not on aqua sector alone, and it is applicable to various other products also, he said.

MLAs Gadde Ramamohan, Vegesna Narendra Varma also spoke.

The stakeholders expressed concern over the heavy loss running to several hundreds of crores of rupees during the last four days.

AP Aquaculture Development Authority vice-chairman Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy, GFST director C Kutumba Rao, APIIC chairman Mantena Rama Raju, fisheries commissioner Ramasankar Naik, aqua exporters, farmers and others also participated.