June 4, 2009

India has recorded a 9.7 percent drop in exports of frozen shrimp between April 2008 and February 2009. But the export of other seafood items has grown by a similar percentage.

 

The country shipped 113,353 tonnes of frozen shrimp, valued at Rs3,363.43 crore, against 125,515 tonnes valued at Rs3,646.02 crore during the same period last year.

 

According to the latest provisional estimates of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the decline in exports in rupee terms was 7.75 percent, and in dollar terms 16.82 percent.

 

The contribution of shrimp to the seafood export kitty dropped to 44 percent this year against 51.82 percent in 2007-08.

 

The export of other leading seafood items like frozen fish, frozen cuttle fish, frozen squid and dried items recorded an increase during the period.

 

The setback to the exports of shrimp was mainly due to a sharp fall in imports by the US and Japan, the two leading markets for Indian seafood items.

 

Export to Japan dropped by 15.44 percent while US imported 33,050 tonnes, down by 2.2 percent.

 

The fall in exports to Japan raises serious concerns as the country's share in importing Indian items dropped to 9.58 percent from 12.42 percent in 2007-08. The contribution by US dropped marginally to 6.24 percent from 6.72 percent.

 

According to leading seafood exporters, the main reason for the setback was the start of low value vannamei shrimp items from countries like China, Vietnam and Taiwan in these markets.

 

Exporters also said the imposition of heavy customs bond and anti-dumping duty by the US Department of Commerce (DOC) had also badly affected exports to the US.

 

The share of EU, the largest importer of Indian seafood items has decreased from 27.67 percent in 2007-08 to 25.51 percent.

 

EU has maintained the same level of import at 135,238 tonnes valued at Rs2,515.68 crore. China has imported 129,437 tonnes valued at Rs1,122.38 crore in April - February period, contributing 24.42 percent of the total volume of seafood shipments.

                                   

US$1 = Rs47.309 (June 4)