Production Methods and Resource Use at Litopenaeus vannamei and Penaeus monodon Farms in India Compared with Previous Findings from Thailand and Vietnam

Shrimp farms in India had average yields (pond surface basis) of 7.86 +/- 1.04 (SE) m.t./ha/yr for Litopenaeus vannamei (n = 89) and 3.88 m.t./ha/yr for Penaeus monodon (n = 11). Average feed conversion ratio was 1.48 +/- 0.04 for L. vannamei and 1.24 +/- 0.12 for P. monodon. Land use for production ponds, supporting area, and feed ingredients averaged 0.634 +/- 0.053 ha/m.t. for L. vannamei and 0.716 +/- 0.087 ha/m.t. for P. monodon. Saline water volume used at farms without water exchange was 18,522 +/- 4065 m(3)/m.t. for L. vannamei and 9528 m(3)/m.t. for P. monodon. Farms exchanging water used 149,188 m(3)/m.t. for L. vannamei and 191,500 m(3)/m.t. for P. monodon. Freshwater embodied in feed was 1678 +/- 508 m(3)/m.t. for L. vannamei and 1401 +/- 137 m(3)/m.t. for P. monodon. Average energy use for farm construction and repair, farm operations, and embodied in feed and liming materials was 82.14 +/- 9.08 GJ/m.t. for L. vannamei and 59.03 +/- 24.92 GJ/m.t. for P. monodon. Wildfish used to make fishmeal included in feed was 1209 kg/m.t. for L. vannamei and 1611 kg/m.t. for P. monodon. Farm infrastructure, pond management methods, yields, and resource use in India were similar to those previously reported for shrimp farms in Thailand and Vietnam.