The Indian shrimp sector has experienced a true rollercoaster in recent years—ranging from imposed trade tariffs to unexplained mortalities, growth collapse, and premature crop termination. These challenges have significantly eroded farmer profitability while simultaneously increasing their workload and operational risks.
As the industry works to boost domestic consumption, explore alternative export markets, and confront emerging disease challenges that remain difficult to identify, a landmark initiative has taken shape. The Collaborative Shrimp Disease Identification Program (CoSDIP) has emerged as India’s first farmer-led, structured shrimp disease investigation platform, designed to address health challenges through collective action and scientific collaboration.
Think Grain Think Feed connected with Balasubramaniam V, General Secretary of the Prawn Farmers Federation of India, and one of the key driving forces behind this initiative, to understand the vision, objectives, and expected impact of CoSDIP.
- Could you please share details about the Collaborative Shrimp Disease Investigation Program?
The Collaborative Shrimp Disease Identification Program (CoSDIP) is India’s first farmer-led, structured shrimp disease investigation initiative, created to systematically understand and address emerging disease syndromes affecting shrimp farms across the country.
The program was conceived following widespread reports of unexplained mortalities, growth collapse, and early crop termination—issues that could not be adequately explained through routine diagnostic testing alone. Recognising the need for a deeper, field-linked scientific approach, farmer organisations initiated discussions in June–July 2025 with national research institutions.
A formal MoU was signed with ICAR–Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA) on 29 July 2025, and the program was officially launched on 10 August 2025. The MPEDA–Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA) joined as a key institutional partner, working closely with CIBA and farmer organisations on diagnostics, epidemiology, and field validation. In parallel, a technical collaboration with the University of Arizona (USA) was established to support advanced pathogen characterisation and complementary scientific analysis.
CoSDIP follows a field-to-lab investigation model, integrating structured epidemiological data, clinical and environmental observations, and laboratory analyses including pathology, microbiology, and molecular diagnostics.
The pilot study is currently being implemented in Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu. Based on scientific learnings and budget availability, the program is designed to expand in stages, with Andhra Pradesh proposed as the next region in 2026, followed by other shrimp-producing regions.
Importantly, CoSDIP is not a one-time study but a continuous, collaborative platform, bringing together farmers, scientists, and industry stakeholders to generate credible, evidence-based insights that support long-term sector resilience.
- How have disease patterns evolved compared to previous years?
Over the past few years, shrimp disease challenges in India have shifted in character rather than simply increased in incidence.
Earlier, disease outbreaks were largely pathogen-specific and episodic, with identifiable causes and predictable outcomes. In contrast, the recent pattern — particularly observed during 2024–25 — has been marked by complex, multi-factor syndromes that do not always fit classical disease definitions.
Farmers are increasingly reporting persistent low-grade mortalities that suddenly escalate, an inability to extend crops beyond 65–75 days despite normal early growth, and chronic production stress that forces early harvests.
What distinguishes the current situation is that routine diagnostic tests often fail to provide conclusive answers, suggesting that these outcomes are driven by a combination of interacting factors — including biological stress, environmental pressures, microbial imbalance, and management intensity — rather than a single new disease agent.
This shift has reduced farmer confidence in traditional responses and underlines the need for field-linked, longitudinal investigation, which is precisely what CoSDIP aims to address.
- What impact are these disease trends having on shrimp production numbers?
The impact of these disease trends is not reflected as a sharp decline in overall production volumes, but rather in how production is being achieved and the value realised from it.
Farmers are increasingly unable to grow shrimp to larger, more remunerative sizes, as crops are being curtailed around 70–75 days to avoid sudden losses. Since shrimp pricing and profitability are closely linked to size, this directly affects farm-level returns.
To compensate, farmers are taking more crop cycles per year — often 2.5 to 3.5 crops instead of the usual two — increasing stocking densities and compressing turnaround times to maintain volumes and cash flow.
As a result, headline production volumes may appear stable, but each crop delivers lower margins, and farmers are exposed to significantly higher biological and financial risk. In effect, farmers are working harder, cycling faster, and taking greater risks to earn less than what fewer, longer crops delivered earlier.
Thus, while volumes are not falling, there is a clear erosion in value realisation per kilogram and economic sustainability, which is a more serious concern for farmer livelihoods.
- What are the key findings of the epidemiological study, and which regions are the most severely affected?
The epidemiological study under CoSDIP has largely validated what farmers have been reporting from the field.
Structured data confirm shortened crop durations, repeated disease onslaughts across successive cycles, and forced early harvests, even where early growth appears normal.
Importantly, while external clinical symptoms have been consistently documented, detailed laboratory screening has so far not linked these outcomes to any single known pathogen. This indicates that the sector is likely dealing with an as-yet uncharacterised disease syndrome, possibly involving complex pathogen interactions or stress-driven expressions rather than a classical, single-agent disease.
The pilot study is currently focused on Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu. Reports of similar symptoms from other major shrimp-producing regions have prompted plans for phased expansion, with Andhra Pradesh proposed as the first expansion region in 2026.
The objective of this work is not to prematurely label diseases or regions, but to establish a scientifically defensible understanding that can guide future diagnostics, management protocols, and prevention strategies.
- What solutions or recommendations are being suggested by field experts?
Given the complexity of the disease patterns observed, experts are recommending a risk-management and resilience-building approach, rather than quick fixes.
Key recommendations include:
- Early risk recognition and timely decision-making, avoiding attempts to force crop duration beyond safe limits
- Improved biosecurity and pond preparation, especially with more frequent crop cycles
- Reducing cumulative management stress, including excessive densities and abrupt interventions
- Farm-specific responses, recognising that no single solution fits all systems
- Continuous monitoring and data-driven adjustments, using CoSDIP as a feedback platform
Experts caution against unverified products or “miracle solutions”, emphasising instead evidence-based management, vigilance, and gradual system correction.
- Are there any eligibility criteria for farmers to register under this program, such as pond size or farm scale?
There are no restrictive eligibility criteria based on pond size or farm scale. CoSDIP is designed to be inclusive and representative of India’s diverse shrimp farming systems.
For the pilot phase, the study was conducted across the entire Nagapattinam District, which was divided into six geographic zones. In each zone, two farms were selected, and within each farm two to four ponds were chosen for continuous monitoring.
Farms were selected based on severity of disease occurrence, willingness to cooperate throughout the study period, and ability to support regular sampling of water, shrimp, and soil, along with periodic visits by program technical coordinators. Care was taken to ensure geographic balance across the district.
As the program expands to other regions, a similar structured approach will be followed. No participation fee is charged to farmers, and participation is based on partnership and transparency, not inspection.
- What long-term impact could this program have on the Indian shrimp sector?
In the long term, CoSDIP is expected to evolve into the country’s flagship shrimp disease investigation and surveillance platform.
Beyond addressing current unexplained disease events, the program is designed to continuously track emerging disease patterns, provide early warnings, and help pre-empt large-scale disease crises before they escalate.
By integrating field intelligence, epidemiology, and laboratory science on a continuous basis, CoSDIP can enable early detection, faster response, targeted advisories, and improved preparedness.
Over time, this approach can reduce production shocks, restore farmer confidence, and strengthen the biological and economic resilience of India’s shrimp sector, shifting the industry from a reactive posture to a preventive, knowledge-driven model of disease management.
