March 30, 2016

India's aquaculture exports to fall

Aquaculture exports from India are expected to fall by 10 to 15% during the current fiscal year due to disease and adverse climate, said sources from the Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA).

In 2014-15, Andhra Pradesh accounted for about two-third of the country's production of 353,413 tonnes of vannamei shrimp.

For the previous fiscal year, inbreeding of seeds and improper management practices had dashed hopes of Navya Andhra reaping the full benefits of the vast coastline, said the sources, while adding that land under aquaculture could be doubled in the next five years with the practice of sustainable aquaculture.

The government is considering forming a committee to clamp down on erring hatcheries.

Farms of about 500 to 600 hectares would also be grouped together next month and educated on best management practices.

National Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture chief executive officer K. Shanmukha Rao said the State government could further increase production by giving licenses to small and marginal farmers practising aquaculture in government wasteland so that they could be provided with incentives and institutional credit.

Source: www.fis.com