Tuesday, 14 Jan, 2025
Image Source: IANS
The export of black tiger (BT) shrimp increased by 24.91 percent, 11.33 percent and 8.28 percent in quantity, value ₹ and US$ terms, respectively, in 2023-24
India exported an all-time high volume of 17,81,602 MT of Seafood worth ₹60,523.89 crore in the FY 2023-24. The USA and China are the major importers of Indian seafood. According to Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), six new markets- Guadeloupe, Mayotte, the Central African Republic, Sierra Leona, Suriname, and Chad have been identified for the export of fish and fisheries products, with a target of $8,000 million set for 2024–2025.
The export of black tiger (BT) shrimp increased by 24.91 percent, 11.33 percent and 8.28 percent in quantity, value ₹ and US$ terms, respectively, in 2023-24. BT shrimps were exported to the tune of 38,987 MT worth ₹2,855.27 Cr ($347.84 million). China (including Hong Kong) turned out to be the major export destination for black tiger shrimp with a share of 28.43 percent in terms of $ value, followed by the USA (18.21 percent), European Union (18.06 percent) and Japan (13.12 percent). Scampi exports have shown a positive trend of 6.42 percent, 23.22 percent and 18.96 percent in quantity, value ₹ and US$ terms, respectively, in 2023-24. The Vannamei shrimp exports have grown in 2023-24 by 0.33 percent by volume; however, they declined by 11.56 percent from $4,809.99 million to $4,253.86 million.
Frozen fish, the second largest exported item, fetched ₹5,509.69 crore ($671.17 million), accounting for 21.42 percent in quantity and 9.09 percent in US$ earnings. This year, the export of frozen fish increased by 3.54 percent and 0.12 percent in quantity and value ₹ terms, respectively; however, it declined by 2.31 percent in US$ terms.
Fish and shrimp- meal & feed- non-edible dried items, the third most prominent item in the export basket, earned ₹3,684.79 Cr ($449.17 million), accounting for 15.89 percent share in quantity and 6.08 percent in dollar earnings, showing an increase of 15.99 percent, 34.07 percent and 31.52 percent by quantity, value ₹ and US$ terms. Exports in this group were exported to the tune of 2,83,019 MT. Unit value growth observed in this group was 13.38 percent.
Frozen squid, the fourth largest export item, fetched ₹3,061.46 crore ($373.40 million), accounting for a 5.25 percent share in quantity and 5.06 percent in dollar earnings. The export of frozen squid increased by 11.52 percent in quantity terms.
The export of Surimi and Surimi Analogs, at the fifth most significant position, pegged at 1,35,327 MT, grew 4.12 percent in quantity terms and earned ₹2,414.43 crores ($294.43 million).
Source: Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in the year 2020-21 during the Covid-19 pandemic has rolled out a flagship scheme the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) with highest ever investment of ₹20,050 crores in the fisheries sector for implementation during a period of five years i.e., 2020-21 to 2024-25, in all States/Union Territories with objective of enhancing production, productivity and exports and of addressing key gaps in the value chain.
Towards meeting this objective and in order to enhance India’s export competitiveness and higher price realization, the PMMSY supports a basket of interventions/activities along the fisheries value chain. These include quality fish production, expansion, diversification and intensification of brackish water aquaculture, promotion of export-oriented species, infusion of technology, robust disease management framework, promotion of good aquaculture practices, branding, standards, certification and traceability, training and capacity building, creation of modern post-harvest infrastructure with seamless cold chain, development of modern fishing harbours and fish landing centres, etc.
The PMMSY is intended to give women beneficiaries financial support and assistance because they are essential to the fisheries value chain.Women beneficiaries are availing financial assistance across various sectors and activities, including aquaculture such as fish farming, hatcheries, seaweed farming, bivalve cultivation, ornamental fisheries, fish processing, and marketing, etc. From production to post-harvest management, the diverse variety of activities guarantees women's participation in various facets of the fisheries value chain.
Women are eligible for financial assistance under the PMMSY (Central Sector) Entrepreneur Model up to 60 percent of the project's total cost, with a maximum subsidy of ₹1.50 crore and a maximum project cost of ₹5 crore. State officials at the district level oversee the projects that are authorized and carried out under PMMSY in order to guarantee the scheme's efficient use and results. Additionally, the State Governments' financial and physical progress reports are used to track the scheme's implementation and budget consumption. The different components provided under PMMSY ensure that women of marginalized and rural communities, who are often engaged in small-scale fisheries and aquaculture are able to contribute significantly in production to post-harvest management, which has helped in empowering the women by improving their livelihood and socio-economic conditions.
In addition, to address the critical infrastructure requirements of fisheries and aquaculture sectors, the Department of Fisheries, Government of India during 2018-19 has created the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) with a total fund size of ₹7,522.48 crore to provide concessional finance to states/UT and private sector.
The Indian government's Department of Fisheries has taken a number of steps to encourage the export of marine products, including supporting 27,823 ice plants and cold storage facilities, investing ₹1,362 cr in transportation facilities, aiding in the purchase of 1398 deep sea tuna fishing vessels (₹1,310 cr) and upgrading 1338 fishing vessels (₹193.64 cr), approving projects for export-oriented fish species like scampi, mud crab, Asian seabass, cobia, and others, and promoting cutting-edge aquaculture production technologies like RAS and Biofloc. Furthermore, under the CAA Act, the Department of Fisheries has issued rules for the promotion of varied species, brood banks, and nucleus breeding centers (NBCs) and broodstock multiplication centers (BMCs).
Additionally, the Department is undertaking the National Surveillance Programme for Aquatic Animal Diseases (NSPAAD), which is supervised by ICAR-NBFGR, Lucknow, in an effort to lower disease prevalence and boost fish productivity across the country. At an approximate cost of ₹13.29 cr, the Department is funding a Marine Mammal Stock assessment study to guarantee the sustainability and continuous supply of Indian seafood to the US market. In order to improve the productivity and quality of fisheries produce, the Department is also recommending that States and UTs periodically encourage farmers to participate in technical and demonstration workshops and training programs pertaining to seed and feed, technology infusion, ornamental fisheries, hatchery technologies, etc.
Additionally, MPEDA runs a number of financial assistance programs, such as Assistance for Mini Labs, Establishment of Nurseries, Establishment of Shrimp Handling Facilities, Establishment of Aquafarms for Diversified Aquaculture, Shahpari Certification of Farms and Hatcheries, Technology Upgradation Scheme for Marine Products (TUSMP), Assistance for Infrastructural Development for Value Addition, Chilled Fish Handling Center, Assistance for Large Cold Storage, etc. to upgrade infrastructure for value addition and establish mini laboratories, support shrimp farmers in enhancing disease-free production and ensuring quality produce.
