July 29, 2009
Indian shrimp production down sharply in 2008-09
Faced with a spate of export rejections and slack demand, the Indian production of freshwater shrimp has registered a 53-percent fall to 12,806 tonnes in 2008-09 and that compared with the previous year.
The estimated value of freshwater shrimp fell by 52 percent and stood at Rs2 billion, said TheEconomicTimes.
According to the news organisation, there have been nearly 24 export rejections by the EU so far since January 2009. While nearly 19 rejections have been with respect to freshwater shrimp, about 20 to 21 were in the consignments from Andhra Pradesh.
Almost all the rejection was due to the use of nitrofuran, a banned antibiotic, which the farmers are using in the hatcheries and farms.
Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) president Anwar Hashim said that stringent quality tests would be made mandatory before exports are made, adding that the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) would also set up a laboratory for the exporters to do quality checks.
Though freshwater shrimp is farmed in other states also, the export rejections are more from Andhra Pradesh.
The aquaculture production in general, including freshwater shrimp, has seen a decline due to global economic slowdown and the fall in prices of shrimp. Incidence of diseases in the farms and supply of poor quality seeds are the other reasons for the general decline of aquaculture in the country.
