India promotes marine product exports to overseas markets

With global downturn causing a slump in seafood exports from India, the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) will be embarking on a campaign to promote the country's marine products in markets abroad, especially in the US, Europe and South Africa.

According to MPEDA sources, the authority's chairman G Mohan Kumar has left the country to promote Indian seafood products in the South African and South American markets and will also attend the International Boston Sea Food Show.

In order to overcome the challenges posed to marine exports by recession, there were also plans to launch a Brand India campaign, which had been approved by the government.

There is a 'silent transition' in the consumption pattern of seafood in the developed market, in particularly the US.

Kumar said Americans earlier spent about 48 percent of their food budget for eating outside whereas, due to current recession, there had been significant reduction in those visiting restaurants.

He said that with more people wanting to cook at home instead, it changes the demand pattern for seafood, adding that Indian marine products should reach the retail chains in the developed market, but most exporters had not made much headway due to lack of marketing skills and efforts on various other fronts.

Due to the present situation, there were fears that exports of shrimp, which accounted for 52 percent of India's total marine exports, could be affected.