Green Mussel, Perna viridis, Farming in Kerala, India – Technology Diffusion Process and Socioeconomic Impacts

Abstract

The technology diffusion process of green mussel, Perna viridis, farming in Kerala, India, was studied by analyzing the adoption pattern, socioeconomic profile of mussel farmers, differences in farming methods, profit variations, development of trade and downstream industries, and the social factors responsible for the growth of this new industry. The farming practice has been adopted by villagers from 1996, and because of its rapid growth, India has risen to one among the top 10 farmed mussel producing nations in Asia, with an annual production of 10,060 tonnes, worth $US1.79 million at farm-gate level. Three types of farm ownerships were observed: individual ownership (IND), family ownership (FAM), and ownerships by self-help groups (SHG). The adoption curves are such that there were only a few adopters initially followed by an increasing rate of adoption in the subsequent years because of the demonstration effect. The study indicated the deep-rooted ''risk aversion'' attitude widely prevalent among technology adopters. Age could not be significantly related to technology adoption, while education and occupation of the respondents significantly (P , 0.05) influenced the technology adoption process. The biggest outcome of mussel farming in Kerala was the empowerment of women with 87% of the SHG farms owned by women. The successful diffusion of mussel farming is the result of a combination of factors, chiefly, the availability of suitable water bodies; high rate of education; proximity of mussel markets and high degree of mussel consumption in the area; and a unique synergy between technology developers, promoters, and credit advancers. This development scenario can work as a role model for developing nations.

BUDIDAYA KERANG HIJAU (Perna viridis L.) DENGAN METODE DAN KEPADATAN BERBEDA DI PERAIRAN PESISIR KUALA LANGSA, ACEH

“…Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah rancangan acak lengkap dengan perlakuan faktorial (RALF Desain konstruksi metode long line mengacu pada Vakily (1989), Aypa (1990), dan Kripa & Mohamed (2008). Konstruksi long line menggunakan dua buah tiang bambu dengan tinggi 2,5 m yang ditancapkan pada kedalaman perairan 1,5 m; kemudian tali nilon berdiameter 5 mm sepanjang 2 m diikatkan secara horizontal pada masing-masing bambu.…”

Site selection for new green mussel culture area expansion in Buguey estuary, Cagayan, Philippines.

“…However, we are optimistic that our conclusion will not change in the next 5 to 10 years since the environmental conditions and water quality in Buguey estuary are expected to be stable. To be able to improve the production of green mussel, technology and best practices in other locations can be adopted [6,7]. Figure 1.…”

Predicting effective aquaculture in subtropical waters: A dynamic energy budget model for the green lipped mussel, Perna viridis

“…With reduced growth, mussels take longer time to reach such commercial size, therefore, extending the harvesting time. Such extension in harvesting time subsequently increases operational costs of a mussel farm which can contribute up to 43% of total operating cost (Kripa and Mohamed, 2008). Prolonged cultivation also increases the risk of loss in biomass due to higher chances of exposure to environmental disturbances such as storms, phytotoxins, hypoxia and sudden salinity changes (Spencer, 2002;Sarà et al, 2018).…”