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After a sustained increase in the last seven-eight years, India’s seafood exports witnessed a 10 per cent dip in quantity and 9 per cent in value in FY-16. The decline in dollar terms was nearly 15 per cent.
The figures available with the Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) revealed that the country exported 9,45,892 tonnes of seafood worth $4.7 billion (₹30,420.83 crore) in FY16 against 10,51,243 tonnes worth $5.5 billion (₹33,441.61 crore) achieved in the previous fiscal.
Frozen shrimp continued to be the major export item, followed by frozen fish. The US and S-E Asia are the major importers of Indian seafood.
MPEDA Chairman, S.Jayatilak, attributes the drop in exports to depreciation of the euro, weaker economic conditions in China and devaluation of the yen, among others. The decline in capture fishery also contributed to the decrease, he told mediapersons here on Friday. He also cited a 10.5 per cent decline in the wild caught shrimp landing (348296 tonnes) in 2015 compared to 3,89,007 tonnes in the previous year.
According to him, the revival of aquaculture production, especially shrimp in Thailand and Vietnam, has resulted in a better supply situation in the international market. This has eased the price situation of shrimp globally, including India. Thus, the average unit value realisation of frozen shrimp has come down to $8.28 per kg in FY16 against $10.38 in FY15, he said.
India is in the process of setting up a nuclear breeding centre for shrimps in Kanyakumari, which will be operational in two years. Currently, the brood stock is imported to meet the demands of aquaculture farmers, he said.
The export of Vannamei shrimp has improved from 2,22,176 tonnes to 2,56,699 tonnes in FY16 with a growth rate of 16 per cent. In value terms, about 50 per cent of the total Vannamei shrimp was exported to the US, followed by 17.25 per cent to the South-East Asian countries, 15.78 per cent to the EU and 4.55 per cent to Japan, 3.62 per cent to West Asia, 2.23 per cent to China and 6.40 per cent to other countries.
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