The Bhubaneswar-based company currently works with more than 7,000 shrimp farmers covering about 20,000 hectares across Odisha and West Bengal. It plans to increase its network to 10,000 farmers and expand into Andhra Pradesh over the next 12-18 months, the company said.
Aquapulse is also targeting shrimp procurement of 5,000 metric tonnes (MT), up from about 2,000 MT last year. It has already procured around 2,000 MT this year. The value of shrimp procured is expected to rise 2.5-3 times, according to the company.
The startup works with shrimp farmers through the crop cycle and connects their produce with domestic and export markets. Farmers working with the company get 3-5% higher realisation, Aquapulse claimed.
“Shrimp farming is a high-risk business for a small farmer because several things can change between stocking a pond and taking the crop to the market,” said Abhishek Dwivedy, co-founder and chief executive officer of Aquapulse.
“As we move from 7,000 to 10,000 farmers, the focus will remain on whether scale is translating into better economics for the farmer,” he added.
The company uses farm and water-quality data to monitor pond conditions, identify potential crop problems, and plan harvesting. Its pre-harvest system also uses photographs from farms to assess pond conditions and harvest readiness.
Aquapulse said it maintains records of the shrimp it procures from the farm through the supply chain, providing traceability of individual lots before they reach the port. The information is also used to match the produce with market requirements.
“Better information has value only when it improves the farmer’s outcome,” said Abhilash Dwivedy, cofounder and chief growth officer. “Our next phase is about taking this model to more farming clusters while retaining that connection with individual farmers.”
