Bathinda, Aug. 30 -- With the harvest season round the corner, shrimp farmers in Punjab, already struggling to make the crop economically viable, now find themselves in troubled waters after the US government imposed 50% tariffs on shrimp produced in India.

According to the state fisheries department, a total of 985 acres of land is under shrimp cultivation in five districts ofthe south Malwa region - Muktsar, Fazilka, Bathinda, Mansa and Faridkot - with harvest set to commence in October.

Official information says that in 2024, the state produced nearly 2,500 metric tonnes of shrimp.

Trade estimates pegged Punjab's 2024 shrimp production at around Rs.80 crore, with buyers offering an average best rate of Rs.350 per kg. But this year, ...