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FRANKFORT,
Ky. — Sweet, delicious Kentucky freshwater prawns, which
its promoters compare in flavor and texture to lobster,
are being harvested this month at more than 50 ponds
throughout the Commonwealth.
Many
of the shrimp-like delicacies are being sold directly
to consumers on the banks of the ponds where the prawns
grew over spring and summer.
Other
complete harvests are being purchased by processor-distributor
Fishmarket Seafoods of Louisville and will appear statewide
in Kroger supermarkets beginning in October.
"Kentucky
freshwater shrimp has become an important part of the
effort to diversify our state's farming operations,"
said Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer.
Average
yields this year may rise to as much as 900 pounds of
prawns per pond-acre, said KDA aquaculture marketing
specialist Angela Caporelli. Many producers are reporting
great results, she said, including one Woodford County
producer who topped 1,600 pounds of prawns per acre.
Fishmarket
Seafoods will freeze and distribute its share of the
harvest with the assistance of a mobile processing unit
that prepares prawn tails so they can be sold frozen.
This technology extends marketing opportunities past
the September harvest month, Caporelli said. The unit
is owned by a partnership of KDA, Kentucky State University,
the University of Kentucky, and the Partners for Family
Farms organization.
To
preserve freshness and product quality, buyers should
remember to bring their own coolers and ice to the pond-side
sales.
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NOTE
TO EDITORS : A complete list of harvest sites,
counties and scheduled dates is available at www.kyagr.com
under “September shrimp harvest details.” The listings
include phone numbers at which you may contact producers
to arrange onsite interviews. |
