Have you ever heard of Makar Sankranti? It is a Hindu festival celebrated every year in January, a cherished holiday in India.
It marks the beginning of longer days as the sun begins to move into the zodiac sign of Makar (Capricorn). A number of rituals are performed during the celebration, such as flying kites and exchanging sweets.
So, what does this have to do with shrimp and why are we mentioning this holiday?
Well, because this holiday also marks the beginning of the first Indian crop.
Once the festival comes to an end, the shrimp seedlings are transported from the hatcheries to the shrimp farms and new seedlings are released every week. It is expected that the shrimp crops will be ready in April-June.
Now, you may ask yourself: why is that important for me to know?
It’s simple: shrimp farmers consider adult shrimp to be healthy and growing at the proper rate when they reach a count of 70-80 / 80-100 pieces per kilo, and stop feeding the crops who do not seem to be keeping up with the expected growth rate.
Which means we can expect to have a large offer of small size shrimp from India during mid march. Get ready to purchase!
