Women Crab farmer (Crab fattening in pens)
- Smt. S. Jayabarathi, is the leader of ‘Annai’ Women Self Help Group. She lives in Kattur Village, Tamil Nadu.
- Crab fattening is carried out by Mrs.S. Jayabarathi and her group in small pens with fence ranging from 100 to 200m² in size with water depth of 1.5 m.
- Water crabs in the size range of 350 to 1500g are stocked @1 to 3/m³.
- Crab fattening takes about 3 to 4 weeks.
- Crabs are fed with bivalve meat or trash fish daily at the rate of 5 to 10% of body weight.
- Harvesting is done using scoop nets and ring nets with baits.
- This group is having good savings in the local commercial bank. This bank has also provided this group with bank loans for crab fattening activities.
- Each day she and her group of 12 members walk more than 4 km to reach the work spot.
- Mrs. S. Jayabarathi has strived hard to bring in diversification in livelihoods among her co-members.
- The experience of Mrs. S. Jayabarathi and her group illustrates how the SHG concept can be a tool to improve the living standards not only of women members but of the whole community.
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