India has managed to increase its seafood exports despite stringent regulations applied in recent months by major importers such as the US, Japan and Canada, revealed Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) officials.
Shipments to the US in April-November 2013 in rupee terms jumped 91 per cent to INR 53,923 million (USD 869.9 million), while the comparative number for South-East Asia was INR 48,877 million (USD 788.5 million).
“There has been a shortage of seafood in the world exports market, and the US, quick to return to its level of consumption, has increased imports of India’s value-added products,” said Leena Nair, Chairpeson of MPEDA, The Hindu reported.
Nair pointed out that frozen shrimp was the major item exported in terms of quantity and value during April-November 2013 fetching USD 2,110.70 million. It was followed by frozen squid, frozen cuttlefish, dried items, chilled items and others.
The Indian government plans to continue with its freight assistance scheme in order to encourage the Indian industry to go for value added products.
MPEDA’s chairperson recognised that the threat of a countervailing duty last year on Indian shrimp imports by the US government had little impact on exports.
She also said that India seeks to achieve a negotiated agreement on quality standards for fish exports to Canada, to soften the rigid standards of that country.
Speaking about the Japanese norms, Nair pointed out that Japanese authorities have now slightly revised the norms relating to antioxidant ethoxyquin (a food preservative and pesticide) in seafood, which would be beneficial for the Indian industry.
In July 2012, it was ruled that shrimp imports should not contain ethoxoquin above 0.01 parts per million. The limit has now been increased to 0.2 ppm, but the revision is expected to come into effect only by February 2014.
MPEDA estimates that exports of marine products will reach a value of USD 4.3 billion (INR 267.5 billion) in fiscal year 2013-14 (April 2013-March 2014), an increase of 23 per cent compared to the previous year.
This increase would be achieved despite the stringent requirements of the major markets, driven largely by the growth of new markets and sales of value added products.
Three years ago, value products accounted for 5 per cent of fishery product exports, while now they represent 17 per cent. The goal is to raise this number to 30 per cent in three years, and to 50 per cent in five years, revealed Abraham J Tharakan, president of the Association of Seafood Exporters India (SEAI).