ACI Agrolink recently organized an Inception Workshop focusing on Super Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) Black Tiger Shrimp (BTS) Nursery and Contract Farming in Kaliganj. The event, part of the Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries Project, took place at the Upazila Parishad Auditorium, commencing at 10 a.m. on Monday, 11 March 2024.
Distinguished guests attended the workshop, with Mr. Anisur Rahman, District Fisheries Officer, serving as the Chief Guest and Mr. Diponkar Das, Upazilla Nirbahi Officer, chairing the event. Notable figures such as Mr. Sayeed Mehedi, Upazilla Parishad Chairman, Mr. Saroj Kumar Mistiri, Deputy Director of Khulna Division’s Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries Project (SCMFP), and Mr. Nazmul Huda, Upazilla Senior Fisheries Officer, were also present as special guests.
The workshop commenced with a welcome speech by Mr. Shoyeb Mahmud, General Manager of ACI Agrolink, followed by a presentation on ACI Ltd. and SPF-BTS Nursery & Contract Farming delivered by Mr. Hasibul Mannan, Program Head of ACI Agribusiness.
Situated in Satkhira, a pivotal district for shrimp farming, ACI Agrolink has established a Super SPF Post Larvae (PL) Nursery in Kaliganj Upazila. Here, SPF PLs are nursed for 10-12 days actively, ensuring enhanced shrimp growth and reduced mortality rates for farmers. This initiative not only boosts farm productivity and income but also presents opportunities for increased export revenues and foreign currency acquisition.
Mr. Saroj Kumar Mistiri, Deputy Director of SCMFP, Khulna Division, praised ACI's initiative in the shrimp sector, emphasizing the importance of supplying quality SPF PL to build trust among farmers. He urged farmers to adopt modern farming methods, emphasizing virus-free PL, increased pond depth, quality feed, and biosecurity measures as crucial aspects of shrimp cultivation.
The workshop saw active participation from over a hundred shrimp farmers, agents, and stakeholders from Kaliganj. Officials from ACI Agribusiness, including Deputy General Manager Engineer Razu Ahmed, Assistant Project Manager Arifa Parvin Sohani, Operation Manager Mohammad Alamgir Hossain, and Assistant Manager Syeda Sonia Rahman, also contributed to the engaging discussions.
