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Shrimps are a group of crustaceans found in both fresh and salt water and consumed as premium cuisine round the world. Shrimps are a rich source of protein, Calcium, essential vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids and trace minerals like Selenium. Globally shrimps are widely traded with 15 per cent share of total fishery exports valued at $10 billion. Shrimp exports are a major earner of foreign exchange for many countries and generate employment for the fisherman community. There are more than 300 species of shrimp that are of economic interest worldwide, 6 shrimp species groups account for more than 80 per cent of the global shrimp catch.
The total world production of shrimp, both captured and cultured is around 6 million tonnes and 60 per cent of the production is traded globally. Cultured shrimps occupy a major share in the total production at 3.34 million tonnes and captured shrimps were at 3.12 million tonnes in the year 2008. Asia is the major shrimp fishing region with China, Indonesia, Thailand, India and Vietnam contributing to 55 per cent of the world production. Although over 100 countries participate in global trade, the exports are mainly directed to three regions viz. the US, Japan and Europe.
Indian shrimp production was close to 0.4 million tonnes for the year 2009-10 from both the capture and cultured sources with an estimated potential area for cultivation at about 11.91 lakh hectares. The major shrimp producing States (for both captured and cultured) are Kerala (29 per cent), West Bengal (21 per cent), Gujarat (15 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (12 per cent). The East Coast contributes to 90 per cent of the cultured shrimp in India with Andhra Pradesh as the major producer contributing to around 50 per cent of the cultured shrimp. The major destinations for the shrimp exports from India in terms of quantity are EU (45 per cent), Japan (18 per cent), the US (14 per cent ) and West Asia (7 per cent).
Shrimps are exported mainly through organised sector having more than 400 processing facilities across Indian with approximately 8,500 tonnes of freezing capacity installed. The marine industry has to meet stringent food safety certifications according to international norms such as HACCP, Global GAP for supplying shrimps to international markets. Based on preservation methods shrimps are classified as fresh, frozen raw, semi-processed or fully processed (breaded shrimp) and are graded by “count” i.e. the number per pound or kg.
Over the years, shrimp production in the country has stagnated and the Government has allowed cultivation of exotic white shrimp called Penaeus vannamei to boost production. Productivity is higher and the cost of cultivation for white shrimp is half that of tiger shrimp which benefit the farmers. At present, around 1,000 hectares of area is under cultivation and the estimated export for the white shrimp will be at 20,000 tonnes during 2010-11. India needs to catch up with Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia which have introduced the species long back and have an advantage in the global markets.
Indian shrimp exports have been subjected to non-tariff barriers based on quality and safety. The antibiotic chemical residue levels have led to export rejections. The stagnating catch, high cost of feed and rising fuel prices are other influential factors affecting the growth of the shrimp processing industry. The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has been the nodal agency for development of the marine exports and provides technical support, market intelligence to the industry and transfer of technology to the farmers.
As Indian seafood exports have crossed the targeted $2 billion figure, the future for marine products exports looks promising. Shrimps will continue to have major share in the total exports and as a future strategy, the product diversification with value-added and ready-to-eat shrimp products needs to be devised.
For increasing the domestic consumption, the organised food retail in India needs to be tapped as long term strategy with concrete efforts for brand building and marketing of shrimp as healthy diet.
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