Cage culture in reservoirs in India (a handbook)

Item Type monograph

Authors Das, A.K.; Vass, K.K.; Shrivastava, N.P.; Katiha, P.K.

Publisher WorldFish Center

Download date 18/12/2022 07:33:33

Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/20647

MANUAL | 1948

Cage Culture in Reservoirs in India

Technical manual prepared for the Project:
Improved fisheries productivity and management in tropical reservoirs,
CP-PN34: Challenge Program on Water and Food

Reducing poverty and hunger by improving fisheries and aquaculture

 ECONOMICS OF CAGE CULTURE
Rearing fingerlings from fry using cage culture in the reservoirs to be stocked is
more cost-effective than using either pens or nurseries. One battery of eight cages as
described above is sufficient to produce stocking materials for a water body of
200 ha. Three crops of fingerlings can easily be harvested per year.

The useful life of HDPE plasto nets is at least 1 year and, with minor repair, may
extend to 2 years, depending on their management after each harvest. Nets should be
cleaned immediately after the harvest, dried in the sun, and either stored properly or
immediately reused. After a year of use, Netlon may be sold as scrap for 7-8% of the
initial procurement price.

As steel drums used as floats have only 27% of their surface area under water, they
can easily be rotated immediately after the harvest to allow repainting the
previously submerged portion. To maximize the useful life of the drums, the whole
drum should be repainted annually. Steel drums used as floats can be used for at least
5 years, during which time 15 fingerling crops can be harvested. After 5 years of use,
they can be sold for 40% of their procurement price.

Bamboo poles used for frames normally last for 2 years, with 10% of poles needing to
be changed every year. The poles used in the submerged frame will last for more than 3
years with proper care and management. Used bamboo poles may be sold for 5% of
their initial price.

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The thicker nylon ropes used for anchors serve for more than 5 years, especially the
portions that remain under water. The silk ropes for tying Netlon cages with bamboo
frame last for at least 2 years.

COST OF PRODUCTION OF EACH CROP

The capital investment for a battery of eight cages covering 120 m 2 with a working
volume of 320 m3 is Rs4,117 per crop. Recurring expenses come to Rs18,275 per
crop. This yields a production cost per crop — allowing for depreciation, interest,
additional expenditures, and inflation — of Rs28,013. The market price of 70,000
fingerlings is Rs75,000, including transport, for the first 2 years and Rs93,500 for
the remaining 3 years. The income per crop, cultured over 3 months, is Rs61,642.
This yields a highly favourable cost:benefit ratio of 2:20, with the production cost per
fingerling estimated at Rs0.40. If the fingerling culture period is reduced to 2 months,
the production cost drops to Rs0.37, enhancing the cost:benefit ratio to 2:25.

The detailed economics of cage culture for a grow-out period of 3 months per crop at
the price prevailing during 2007/08 is given in tables 2-4.

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 Table 2: Economics of cage culture with a grow-out period of 3 months at the Indian rupee price in 2007/08
1. Capital cost
Unit cost Life Depreciation Total cost Cost/crop
A. Cage frame Size/weight No/kg
(Rs) (years) (yrs) (Rs) (Rs)
Steel drums 200 litre 24 550 5 70 1,680 560
Bamboo poles 7.5 metre 56 110 3 30 1,680 560
Transport 1 truck 800 5 160 160 53
Measuring tape Large 1 100 10 10 10 3
Nuts & bolts 18 cm 120, 9 kg 60 5 11 99 33
GI wire 2 mm 20 kg 70 1 70 1,400 466
GI wire 1.5 mm 25 kg 70 1 70 1,750 583
Pliers Medium 2 70 2 35 70 23
Bucket, mug & strainer Large 2 each 70 +10+10 5 14+2+2 36 12
Cutter Medium 2 50 10 5 10 4
Paint Primer 3 kg 50 2 25 75 25
Paint Acrylic 4 kg 120 2 60 240 80
Labour Painting 8 100 1 100 800 266
Labour Framing 8 100 1 100 800 266
Frame subtotal 2,934
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B. Netting
Net cage 45 m3, I.5 mm 8 800 2 350 2,800 933
Silk rope 1.27 cm diam. 5 kg 200 5 40 200 66
Nylon rope 1.27 cm diam. 10 kg 70 3 23 230 77
Nylon rope 2.5 cm diam. 20 kg 80 5 16 320 107
Netting subtotal 1,183
Total capital cost (A + B) 4,117
2. Recurring Costs
Labour Net tying 5 100 1/3 300 1,500 500
Fry 12-18 mm 10,000 0.12 1/3 0.36 36,000 12,000
Feed dust, flaky 270 kg 12 1/3 36 9,720 3,240
Agrimin nutr. supplement
dust, flaky 3 kg 45 1/3 135 405 135

1,000/
Labour Daily feeding 1 1/3 9,000 9,000 1,000
month
Labour Cleaning, etc. 10 100 1/3 300 3,000 1,000
Labour Harvest 4 100 1/3 300 1,200 400
Total recurring cost per crop Rs18,275 18,275
Production cost per crop, including interest, additional expenditure and inflation, is Rs28,013.
Income: Market price of 70,000 fingerlings @ Re1.00/fingerling is Rs75,000, including transport, for the first 2 years and @ Rs1.25/ fingerling is
Rs93,500, including transport, for the remaining 3 years. Thus income is Rs89,655.
Expenditure: Rs28,013; Benefit: Rs61,642 and benefit:cost = 2.20; Production cost of one fingerling: Rs0.40.
 Table 3: The material requirements and economics of fish seed raising in cages in Indian reservoirs
Rate Amount Life Depreciation Cost per crop, @ Cost per crop @
Item/Particular Dimension Unit Quantity
(Rs) (Rs) (year) (Rs) 2 crops/year (Rs) 3 crops/year (Rs)
Nonrecurring Costs
Capital costs
Floats ( PVC drums) 200 litre Number 24 550 13,200 10 1,320 660.00 440.00
Bamboo 7.5 metre Number 56 110 6,160 5 1232 616.00 410.67
Nuts and bolts 18 cm No./kg 120/ 9 60 540 5 108 54.00 36.00
Iron wire 2 mm kg 20 70 1,400 1 1,400 700.00 466.67
Iron wire 1.5mm kg 25 70 1,750 1 1,750 875.00 583.33
Saw Medium Number 2 50 100 10 10 5.00 3.33
Measuring tape Large Number 1 100 100 10 10 5.00 3.33
Cutting pliers Medium Number 2 70 140 2 70 35.00 23.33
Net cage 45 m3, 1.5 m kg 8 800 6,400 2 3,200 1,600.00 1,066.67
Silk rope (diameter) 1.27cm kg 5 200 1,000 5 200 100.00 66.67
Nylon rope (diameter) 1.27cm kg 10 70 700 3 233 116.67 77.67
Nylon rope (diameter) 2.25 cm kg 20 80 1,600 5 320 160.00 106.67
Bucket, mug & strainer Number 2 each 45 90 5 18 9.00 6.00
Paint Primer kg 3 50 150 2 75 37.50 25.00
Paint Acrylic kg 4 120 480 2 240 120.00 80.00
Fixed capital cost Rs 10,186.33 5,093.17 3,395.44
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Labour for frame & repair Day Person-day 8 100 800 200.00 133.33
Labour for netting &
Day Person-day 5 100 500 125.00 83.33
repair
Labour for paint & repair Day Person-day 8 100 800 200.00 133.33
Interest on fixed capital Rs 982.91 449.45 299.63
Total fixed cost Rs 6,067.62 4,045.07
Recurring Costs
Seed 12-18 mm Number 100,000 0.12 12,000 12,000
Feed Dusk, flaky kg 270 12 3,240 3,240
Agrimin Dusk, flaky kg 3 45 135 135
Transportation Number Truck 1 800 800 800
Feeding Month Person-day 3 1,000 3,000 3,000
Cleaning Day Person-day 10 100 1,000 1,000
Harvesting Day Person-day 4 100 400 400
Miscellaneous Rs 500 500
Total expenditure Rs 21,075 21,075
Interest on variable cost Rs 1,264.50 1,264.50
Total variable cost Rs 22,339.50 22,339.50
Total cost Rs 28,407.12 26,384.57
Fingerling production 70-100 mm Number 70,000 1 70,000
Cost of production Per fingerling Rs 0.41 0.38
Value of fingerlings Rs 1 70,000 70,000 70,000
Benefit:cost ratio 2.46 2.65
Table 4: Economics of fish seed rearing in cages in Indian reservoirs
Per crop @ Per crop @
Item
2 crops/year (Rs) 3 crops/year (Rs)
Total fixed cost 6,067.62 4,045.07
(percent of total cost) (21.36) (15.33)
Total variable cost 22,339.50 22,339.50
(percent of total cost) (78.64) (84.67)
Total cost 28,407.12 26,384.57
Number of fingerlings produced 70,000 70,000
Cost of production/fingerling 0.41 0.38
Value of fingerlings @ Re 1/fingerling 70,000 70,000
Benefit:cost ratio 2.46 2.65