The Hindu Business Line : MPEDA to focus on value-addition

THE Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) is looking to give a special thrust to value addition in seafood so as to increase export revenue, Mr K. Jose Cyriac, Chairman, MPEDA said.

MPEDA also proposes to focus on increasing production of shrimp, which can be achieved by increasing the area under culture.

``Consumer demand for seafood continues to rise and the growing market for value-added seafood in particular has shown rapid growth. We would like the industry to focus on these two areas as a strategy to aid overall growth,'' Mr Cyriac said.

The seafood industry has registered a 10 per cent decline in its total exports for the year 2001-2002 at Rs 6,000 crore or $1,257 million. This is in comparison to the all-time record of Rs 6,400 or $1416 million for the year 2000-2001.

However, given that almost 70 per cent of India's export is shrimp, the export of shrimp — in quantity terms — registered a 14 per cent increase in the year 2001-2002.

For the year 2001-02, total shrimp exports amounted to 1,28,000 tonnes. This is as against shrimp exports of 1,12,000 tonnes for the year 2000-01.

Commenting on the export scenario, Mr Cyriac said India is quite comfortably placed in the current scenario. ``In rupee terms, our exports have come down because the unit prices of shrimp has come down. Price realisation has declined from $8.8 to $6.8 per kg,'' he said.

The value-added seafood segment has also registered an uptrend. ``For instance, we export 30-40 value added items, the share of which amounts to around 15 per cent of our total export basket. Last year this segment accounted for 11 per cent of our exports and the year before it was 8 per cent. So it is a growth segment,'' Mr Cyriac said.

However, the MPEDA Chairman professed that 15 per cent is still quite low. ``If we sustain it then it is an excellent growth rate,'' he explained.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail
Comment on this article to BLFeedback@thehindu.co.in

Stories in this Section
Seafood menu

Crabs likely to jostle for space in export basket

MPEDA to focus on value-addition

`No support for winter vegetable farming'

`TNEB move will correct distortions, check misuse' — Farmers want a say in new power tariffs

Rubber Board to supply products to Railways

AP Govt says it can't handle procurement for PDS

Cotton futures may move down

Pepper prices up a tad

`Technology transfer efforts paying' — Dr H.P. Singh, Director, CRIDA

State gets soaked by retreating monsoon