The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri. Nara Chandrababu Naidu, presided over the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture and the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) to launch an ambitious Seaweed–Shrimp Integrated Farming under the “Action Plan on Seaweed Culture Programme” in the state. The event, held on 23rd August 2025 at Peddapuram in Kakinada District, marked a major milestone in advancing sustainable aquaculture and coastal livelihood development. The Chief Minister emphasized that integrating seaweed with shrimp farming could transform coastal aquaculture systems by improving water quality, enhancing nutrient recycling, and providing additional income avenues particularly for women Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
The MoU was signed by Smt. V. Karuna, IAS, Chief Executive Officer, SERP, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh and Dr. Kuldeep K. Lal, Director, ICAR-CIBA in the presence of the Honourable Chief Minister. Dr.Kuldeep Lal informed the Chief Minister that the studies conducted by ICAR-CIBA indicated promising results with integration of seaweed Gracilaria spp with shrimp, its ability to tolerate a wide salinity range and its integration with shrimp resulted in 3-8 fold increase in seaweed biomass and enhanced shrimp growth providing beneficiaries with additional revenue opportunities. This integrated innovative model offers farmers of Andhra Pradesh State an additional revenue without any additional inputs, making it both cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. Dr.M.Muralidhar, Principal Scientist, and Shri R. Aravind, Scientist, CIBA participated in the event.
To operationalize the programme, Mr. Udaykishan Cherukuneedi, Managing Director, Uday Aqua Connects Private Limited has initiated seaweed–shrimp farming activities at the Mulapolam site, Srikakulam District engaging 30 trained SHG women in seaweed cultivation with the technical collaboration from ICAR-CIBA. The Chief Minister interacted virtually with these SHG members, who shared their experiences and expressed how seaweed farming is opening new livelihood avenues for the coastal families. This public–private partnership is designed to create replicable, farmer-centric models of responsible aquaculture, aligning with Andhra Pradesh’s Blue Economy vision and positioning the state as a leader in sustainable coastal resource management.
