Cyclone Arnab forces distress shrimp harvest in India's Andhra Pradesh

Cyclone Arnab has triggered a distress shrimp harvest in Andhra Pradesh this week and led to a decline in farmgate prices amid increased landings, traders and exporters told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, on Oct. 30.

Base count or head-on, shell-on 100 count/kg prices fell below 250 Indian rupees/kg ex-works West Godavari early in the week, before Cyclone Arnab made landfall in Andhra Pradesh on Oct. 28, data from Platts showed. Platts heard offers for HOSO 100 count/kg at 240 rupees/kg Oct. 30.

Platts assessed HOSO shrimp farmgate India (40 count/kg) at 415 Indian rupees/kg ($4,358/metric ton) Oct. 29, down 15 rupees/kg ($180/mt) week over week.

Local media reported that Cyclone Arnab caused heavy rainfall and inundation in the major shrimp districts of central and northern Andhra Pradesh this week.

The state accounted for about 85% of India's shrimp production in 2025, according to the Marine Products Export Development Authority.

Sources said that many districts faced power outages, disrupting pond management and forcing producers to increase landings rather than risk the crop.

A trader based in Bapatla said power outages have affected motors and aerator systems. When aeration is disrupted, dissolved oxygen can fall, which can stress shrimp, reducing feeding activity and potentially leading to mortality.

Andhra Pradesh energy minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar told the media on Oct. 29 that the cyclone caused an estimated 5 billion Indian rupees ($52.5 million) in damage to the power sector, with the Palakollu, Bhimavaram and Narsapur regions bearing the brunt of the extreme weather event.

Exporters told Platts that the power outages had a limited impact on processing plants, as they can run on backup generators.

A Visakhapatnam-based exporter said plants were equipped to handle seasonal cyclones, but higher energy costs since the Middle East conflict could lead to lower margins this time.

Some sources said the current price drop was a blip and that prices are expected to bounce back.

A second exporter said the distress harvest could reduce the availability of raw material in the coming weeks, adding that although 100 count/kg prices fell by 40-50 rupees/kg during the week, 30-50 count/kg prices fell only by 10-15 rupees/kg, signaling a mismatch in supply.

Vannamei crop output in the second half of the year has so far been lower than in the same period last year due to disease concerns and heat stress in the ponds, keeping prices of 30-50 count/kg at record highs.

Platts assessed HOSO shrimp farmgate India at an all-time high of 425 Indian rupees/kg ($4,433/mt) Sept. 30.

Sources said demand was relatively strong for 21-25 count, 25-30 count and 31-40 count, with many packers having orders booked until January 2027, and the increased demand from packers supported the farmgate prices further into October.