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Vipin V. Nair

Exports have risen seven per cent despite fall in shipments to US, Japan.

Kochi , March 14

SEAFOOD exports during the April-December period of the current fiscal have grown by seven per cent despite a fall in business with two of the country's larger markets - the US and Japan.

Latest data compiled by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) shows that the drop in exports to the US and Japan was greater than offset by the European Union, South-East Asia, and West Asia.

Exports of frozen shrimp, fish, cuttlefish, squid, dried items, chilled variety and others generated $1.088 billion worth of exports during April-December 2004, compared to $1.01 billion in the corresponding previous period.

The data is provisional and the final figures were likely to be higher, official sources said.

In terms of volume, seafood exports recorded a 6.40 per cent growth, while in rupee terms the figure was up 5.44 per cent.

Exports to the US fell by 3.39 per cent to $266 million during the period, down from $275 million earlier.

Exports to Japan also recorded a fall, albeit marginal, at $204 million from $209 million.

Another market where Indian exports suffered marginally was China ($112.79 million).

The US accounted for 24 per cent of India's seafood exports in value terms, while Japan had 19 per cent share.

Exports to the US was hit mainly because of the uncertainty prevailed at that point of time about the anti-dumping duty to be imposed on India's shrimp exports.

Later, the US imposed an average 9.45 per cent anti-dumping duty on Indian shrimp imports, but said that it may review the decision in the wake of the tsunami disaster that hit many parts of India. Besides, the depreciation of the dollar against the rupee also led to the fall.

The Seafood Exporters Association of India has projected that the country's exports for the full fiscal may drop by 10-15 per cent year-on-year as the tsunami disaster of December has severely damaged the marine ecosystem, destroying shrimp resources.

The EU, which was the second largest importer of Indian seafood in 2003-04 after the US, has now become the largest buyer with a share of 26 per cent in value terms, according to MPEDA data.

Exports to the EU stood at $284.40 million with a year-on-year growth of 17 per cent.

The country's exports gained in South-East Asia ($106 million) and West Asia ($35.41 million), where the growth has been 23 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. Exports to other countries were worth $79 million during the nine-month period, up by 40.52 per cent.

Frozen shrimp was the largest item in the export basket with a share of 65 per cent in value terms and a growth of 5.84 per cent.Frozen fish, frozen cuttlefish and frozen squid were the other major items.

The MPEDA data also showed that exports of dried items suffered a 47 per cent drop during the period to $13.78 million.

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