The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has launched a host of initiatives to double the share of seafood exports by 2030.
The country’s contribution of value-added seafood accounts for around 10 per cent of the total seafood exports, which translates into around USD 860 million. The country controls only 2.5 per cent of the total global value-added seafood trade of USD 34 billion.
Deputy director of MPEDA (regional division) Archiman Lahiri said there is a global demand for seafood from the country and the exporters need to be focused on the quality of the products.“The target has been set for 20 per cent value-added seafood product exports by 2030, given the changing preferences in the consumer market. The export authority is pushing for a trained workforce to achieve the target of doubling the seafood exports by arranging a series of training programmes across the country,” he said.
The state government has planned a new scheme – Promotion of Aquaculture and Shrimp Export Cell to promote processing units for value addition of fish within the state. The initiative will further increase the export competency of marine fish exporters.
Addressing exporters and master trainers at an event here on Monday, principal secretary of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Suresh Kumar Vashishth said Odisha exported seafood worth `4,560 crore during the last financial year. The total production was around 10 lakh metric tonnes, he said while assuring all support to facilitate seafood exports from the state.
The intended value-added products are shrimp, sea-caught fish and farmed Tilapia. MPEDA has imparted hands-on training to 25 master trainers selected from various seafood export companies in the state. The master trainers will train the workforce employed in various seafood processing plants to maintain quality. President of Seafood Exporters Association of India (Odisha region) Kamlesh Mishra and director of export promotion and marketing Dillip Kumar Sahoo were present.
