Prospects of Soft Shell Crab Production In India

Crabs are the third most well-known, in delicacy, among the crustaceans on the planet. They are known for their sweet-flavoured and firm meat and exhibited in different forms such as claw meat, colossal, jumbo, etc. making it a sought-after export commodity. Mud crabs have a huge demand in the international market. Despite being a highly demanded food item, its research findings on its hatchery and grow-out techniques need further intensification since crab farming is emerging as a profitable option among the farmers. Despite being a candidate species for commercial production for export, it has not been adopted for commercial culture operations due to the limited seed production, non-availability of artificial feed and lack of economic feasibility and standardized culture technology in all culture phases. At present, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA) Aquaculture Technology Incubation Centre of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) Nagapattinam district of Tamilnadu the hatchery producing seed, but it is not fulfilling the demand for crab farming.