Shrimp farmers in Dumuria of Khulna are in frustration due to increase of prices of fish fry and less demand of frozen shrimps.
Moreover, the growers have incurred a huge loss as exports are indefinitely postponed after the Covid-19 outbreak.
Shrimp has been cultivated in 14 unions of the upazila since 80s.
The government has earned huge foreign currency exporting shrimp every year.
But, this year, traders stopped buying shrimp following suspension of exports, said some growers and processors.
The price of the shrimp dropped over 50 percent this year. At present, shrimp is being sold atTk 400-500 a kg which was Tk 1,000-1,500 during the corresponding period of last year.
Khulna Division Shrimp fry Traders' Association general secretary Golam Kibria Ripon, also the owner of Gulf hatchery, said fry production is being hampered due to shortage of mother shrimp that also caused the hike of fry price.
Dumuria upazila senior fisheries officer Abu Bakr Siddique said this year, owners cannot release shrimp postlarvae (PL) in their hatchery because of high price.
Transport crisis and high production cost increased the price of PL, he added.
Golda shrimp is cultivated on 11,146 hectares while Bagda on 6,781 hectares in the upazila.
The shrimp growers sought government assistance to carry on their business.