There was a sharp rise in the production of vannamei shrimp as aquaculture expanded to more areas in the East Coast. Its exports to the US increased by 141 per cent in quantity and 100 per cent in value in dollars.
Kochi, June 24:
Vannamei and black-tiger shrimps helped push up India’s seafood exports to 9.28 lakh tonnes (lt) in 2012-13 fiscal, up 7.68 per cent over the previous year’s 8.62 lt.
This was despite the recessionary conditions in Europe, depreciation of the rupee against major international currencies and trade barriers put up by some of the importing countries, Leena Nair, Chairperson of the Marine Products Exports Development Authority, told a news conference here on Monday.
She said the value of the exports was Rs 18,856 crore, though in dollar terms the increase was negligible (from $3.50 billion to $3.51 billion).
In terms of quantity, exports were at a record high.
Output rises
“The increased production of Vannamei shrimp, better productivity of black-tiger shrimp and larger export of chilled products helped to achieve higher exports,” she said.
She noted that there was a sharp rise in the production of vannamei shrimp as aquaculture expanded to more areas in eastern coastal States and productivity rose.
The export of vannamei shrimp to the US increased by 141 per cent in quantity and 100 per cent in value in dollars.
One-fourth of the total maritime exports consisted of frozen shrimp; but in terms of value it earned 51.35 per cent of the total marine export dollars.
There was a 21 per cent increase in the quantity of shrimp exported, but because of the steep fall in the prices, it could add only 3.56 per cent to the export value in dollars.
Frozen fish, which made up 37 per cent of the total maritime exports, was the leading maritime export item.
South-East Asia is India’s largest seafood market, followed by European Union, the US, Japan and China, in that order.
