September 1, 2009

Seafood exporters in Orissa, eastern India, have urged the state government to provide infrastructural facilities needed for the growth of the industry.

The seafood exports sector has been reporting impressive growth during the last few years thanks to initiatives from the private sector.

The sector reported a record exports figure of Rs411 crore during the last fiscal despite severe infrastructural bottlenecks, such as lack of container facilities as the Paradip Port and shortage of cold storage facilities for highly perishable items.

The Orissa government's fisheries policy document finalised in 2004 had set an exports target of Rs1,000 crore by 2010.

G Mohanty, president, the Seafood Exporters Association of India, Orissa chapter, said that with no support from the government, seafood exports from the state may not achieve the target envisaged under the state fisheries polices.

Exporters say that due to lack of cold storage, processing and transport facilities, many farmers have decided to shift from the fisheries sector. This may result in decline in exports over the next few years.

Admitting the problems faced by the seafood exporters in the state, Damodar Rout, state minister of agriculture, cooperation, and fisheries, said due to absence of container services in the Paradip Port, exporters have been using the facilities at the Vizag or Haldia port.

Rout said the Orissa government is working on a plan to boost exports of fish products as the state has a huge coastline of 485 km. Orissa, because of its rivers and coastline, is among the top ten in terms of production of fish. The state has around 20 processing plants for seafood. Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat are the top exporters of seafood.

According to estimates of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the export of marine products has grown over the years - from a mere Rs3.92 crore in 1961-62 to Rs8607.94 crore in 2008-09.

US$1 = Rs48.721 (Sep 1)