Odisha to Set Up State’s First Mud Crab Hatchery in Paradip with ₹2.81 Crore Investment

Bhubaneswar: A long-awaited aspiration of Odisha’s mud crab farmers is finally taking shape. The State government has approved the establishment of Odisha’s first-ever Mud Crab Hatchery in Paradip, with an investment of ₹2.81 crore, supported by the Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Department’s ECRICC–GCF project.

The hatchery, with a seed production capacity of 5 lakh units, is expected to drastically reduce the farmers’ dependence on the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA) in Chennai, which has so far been the primary supplier of crab seed. With a local facility in place, farmers will not only save on time and costs but also witness an improvement in their economic conditions, officials said.

Forest, Environment & Climate Change Minister Ganeshram Singh Khuntia, after approving the agreement, said the initiative would be a game-changer for Odisha’s coastal economy.

“This centre will bring a transformative change in the fortunes of mud crab farmers. Odisha will soon emerge as a vibrant hub of mud crab seed production,” the Minister stated.

The project will be implemented through a tripartite agreement involving the ECRICC–GCF project (financial support), the Odisha Fisheries Directorate, and the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (technical expertise). The agreement is expected to be finalized shortly.

Officials highlighted that the hatchery would also encourage more farmers to take up mud crab farming, given its high returns and strong export potential.

The ECRICC project is already active in several coastal districts, including Puri, Ganjam, Balasore, and Kendrapara, with initiatives such as seagrass and salt marsh restoration (in collaboration with IIT Bhubaneswar), scientific mud crab farming, seaweed cultivation for 70 farmers, and SRI-based training for over 28,000 farmers. Additionally, 304 women have been empowered as climate champions under the initiative.

With the Paradip hatchery, Odisha hopes to script a new chapter in sustainable aquaculture and coastal livelihoods, strengthening both its environmental resilience and export potential.