January 13, 2014

 

India's seafood exports may reach US$162 million by 2020

 

 

By 2020, India's seafood exports, currently around INR4 billion (US$65 million), is expected to cross the INR10-billion (US$162 million) mark, according to Union Commerce and Industries Minister, Anand Sharma.

 

Sharma said that by next year, the export of seafood will reach INR5-billion (US$81 million) and may double by 2020.

 

Abraham J Tharakan, chairman of Seafood Exporters Association of India, said that the good export performance by the seafood sector has been entirely due to the record aquaculture production of vannamei shrimp species in Andhra Pradesh.

 

Moreover, despite stringent regulations applied in recent months by major importers such as the US, Japan and Canada, India has managed to increase its seafood exports, as revealed by Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) officials.

 

Shipments to the US in April-November 2013 jumped 91% to INR53,923 million (US$869.9 million), while the comparative number for South-East Asia was INR48,877 million (US$788.5 million).

 

"There has been a shortage of seafood in the world exports market, and the US, quick to return to its level of consumption, has increased imports of India's value-added products," said Leena Nair, Chairpeson of MPEDA.

 

Nair pointed out that frozen shrimp was the major item exported in terms of quantity and value during April-November 2013, fetching US$2,110.70 million. It was followed by frozen squid, frozen cuttlefish, dried items, chilled items and others.

 

The Indian government plans to continue with its freight assistance scheme in order to encourage the Indian industry to go for value added products.

 

Nair recognised that the threat of a countervailing duty last year on Indian shrimp imports by the US government had little impact on exports. She also said that India seeks to achieve a negotiated agreement on quality standards for fish exports to Canada, to soften the rigid standards of that country.

 

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister, K A Jayapal, said that tenders for the first phase of fish processing parks at Nagapattinam and Cuddalore on public / private partnership will be announced shortly.

 

Similarly, Ramanathapuram and Ernavoor in the Thiruvallur district would be taken up under the second phase for establishing fish processing parks.

 

Jayapal urged the seafood export fraternity to come forward and support sustainable development of the fisheries sector in Tamil Nadu in improving infrastructure, storage and seafood handling capacity on par with international standards to compete globally in the seafood industry.

 

Tharakan also urged the Union Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that adequate import and specific pathogen-free vannamei broodstock is permitted for approved hatcheries so that aquaculture farmers can get them for reasonable prices.

 

Speaking about the Japanese norms, Nair pointed out that Japanese authorities have revised slightly the norms relating to antioxidant ethoxyquin, a food preservative and pesticide, in seafood, which would be beneficial for the Indian industry.

 

In July 2012, it was ruled that shrimp imports should not contain ethoxyquin above 0.01 parts per million (ppm). The limit has now been increased to 0.2 ppm, but the revision is expected to come into effect by February 2014.

 

MPEDA estimates that exports of marine products will reach a value of US$4.3 billion in fiscal year 2013-14 (April 2013-March 2014), an increase of 23% compared to the previous year.

 

This increase would be achieved despite the stringent requirements of the major markets, driven largely by the growth of new markets and sales of value added products.

 

Three years ago, value products accounted for 5% of fishery product exports. Currently, they represent 17%. The goal is to raise the number to 30% in three years, and to 50% in five years, revealed Tharakan.

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