Present status of mud crab collection, culture and marketing in Bagerhat and Khulna districts

Abstract

Crab cultivation has been treated as one of the dependable sources of livelihood for many years. A majority number of families in that area have chosen crab cultivation as their exclusive source of income. The present study was aimed to examine the economics of collecting, culture and marketing of live mud crab at Dacope upazila under Khulna district and Rampal upazila under Bagerhat district of southwest region of Bangladesh. A total of 30 crab farmers were randomly selected from these two upazila and 30 were crab collectors. The study determined costs, returns and profitability of mud crab production in respect of crab collection and culture. However, for the male crab, 5 grades namely extra-extra-large (XXL), extra-large (XL), large (L), Medium (M) and small (SM) were observed, whereas 4 grades were observed for female crab namely F1, F2, F3 and K.S3, both in descending order of live gross weight. The average size of crab farm was about 1 acre. The demand of live crab was higher in winter season (November-March) when the production and catch were relatively higher. The results from profitability analysis revealed that total cost and gross return of crab collecting in one season (Sept-Feb) were about Taka 353280 and Tk. 474000 respectively, whereas in one culture period (Nov-Feb) of fattening, per acre total cost and gross return were Tk. 835692 and Tk. 1020000 respectively in Bagerhat and Tk. 838373 and Tk. 930000 respectively in Khulna. Net returns of crab collecting and crab fattening were Tk. 120720 per season and Tk. 184308 per acre in Bagerhat and Tk. 91627 per acre in Khulna respectively. In this study, it was also tried to explore the challenges that collectors and cultivators faced in mud crab production and the challenges conceded by the producers and middlemen in the marketing of mud crab. Considering the total export earnings from mud crabs, this sector shows future potential and for achieving this, development and support should come from government and different non-government organizations to improve the sustainability of this sector in Bangladesh.