Former Greene County Tobacco Farmer Finds New Life in Growing Prawn Industry

Source from:  October 15,2006 TRISHA CAPANSKY STAFF WRITER  10/19/2006

Prawn farming hit the state four years ago when a farmer in Johnston County ventured into the business. Since then, seven more have entered the market, including one in Greene County. John and Natalie Relyea crossed the threshold from tobacco farming to aquaculture last May. Like others, John Relyea began to look for other methods to subsidize his income after the recent federal tobacco buyout program. The demand for prawn is nowhere near shrimp - its saltwater counterpart - but in recent years it has grown in popularity, netting profits that keep growers interested in trying their hand at this new venture. Relyea and his wife Natalie harvested their first crop about two weeks ago, yielding about 1,300 pounds, which is worth more than $10,000. Typically, first-year prawn farmers average about 800 to 900 pounds per acre. Yields were lower than projected for the Relyeas due to water stabilization issues at the beginning of the season, but overall, the husband-wife team said they were pleased with their efforts. "I've made money in tobacco and it's been good to me," said Relyea. "But because of fuel and labor costs, it was just time to get out if I wanted to stay self employed." In May, the Relyeas bought about 50,000 young, post-larval prawns from a supplier in Freemont. Beforehand, they and farm Manager Carlos Levitt had prepared two two-acre ponds that became the permanent home of the young crustaceans until harvest. Housecleaning chores to prepare a pond occurs when a grower limes and fertilizes the water to ensure the acidity stays in balance and enough food is available to maintain a steady growth rate. Preparation and water-quality management is, at times, a 70-hour per week job mostly performed at night "because oxygen is lowest due to the lack of sunlight," Lovitt said. HARVEST About 2 a.m. on the night before the first harvest, Relyea and Lovitt pulled the first plug, releasing about 3 million gallons of water into a nearby body of water. Water from the second pond is recycled into the first. Ponds have a depth range from 4 feet to 7 feet, and when the plug is pulled, water drains to the deep end and prawns are pulled with it in the swirling water. As the water continues to drain, the prawns are harnessed in a nearby concrete tank. Harvested prawns are netted and quickly moved to be sold. To preserve their freshness and lobster-like meat texture, a chill-kill method is used by further reducing the amount of water the prawn is in, then pouring ice over it. Because they are tropical and can't survive below 65 degrees Fahrenheit, the coldness from the ice stuns and kills them immediately. Of the 1,325 pounds, the Relyea's sold all but about 20 pounds during the first three days of the first of two harvests. DEMAND Mike Frinsko, the aquaculture agent for the eastern part of the state, cites the increase in interest for prawn and fish farms in this area as the "agricultural community is looking for opportunities to diversify." Prawn farming "won't replace anything (such as cotton or tobacco) but will augment many things," he said. Cost of production is averaging between $3.50 and $4 per pound, which is about half of what the farmer can expect to receive based on current market rates. While nationwide restaurants and health food markets are the major purchasers, here it is the locals who are driving demand, Frinsko said. Most production is usually purchased by the community between the day of harvest and following day. The remainder is sold over the next few days up to two weeks, he said. Currently, more than 70 percent of the seafood consumed in the United States is imported, and at least 40 percent of that is farm raised, according to the International Trade Report, published by the United States Department of Agriculture. Enditem