Date:05/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/12/05/stories/2008120550741700.htm

Back Seafood exporters urged to focus on value-added products

Our Bureau

Kochi, Dec. 4 Value-added marine exports should grow by at least 10 per cent a year in order to take Indian seafood exports to $4 billion by 2012, Mr G. Mohan Kumar, Chairman of the Marine Products Export Development Authority, has said.

Upgradation Scheme

Addressing a stakeholders meeting at Tuticorin, he said, the Technology Upgradation Scheme for Marine Products (TUSMP) would be a primary growth driver of exports in the years to come.

Narrating the salient features of TUSMP, Mr Mohan Kumar asked exporters to focus on value-added marine products.

Marine exports from Tuticorin region saw steady growth over the years – from Rs 55 crore in 1991-92 to Rs 652 crore in 2007-08.

Export Front

The region constituted 10 per cent of the country’s total marine exports in value.

The value of exports from Tuticroin had set an all time record of 30,611 tonnes in 2006-07 valued at Rs 735 crore.

Focus on Tuna

To boost tuna production, MPEDA has been making concerted efforts to convert vessels into tuna long-liners and extending on-board training programmes, especially for handling yellow fin tuna for producing sashmi.

The Authority wanted the exporters to produce more value-added products from yellow fin tuna.

The exporters said introducing the exotic shrimp species, vannamei, was expected to enable the domestic trade to compete in the international seafood trade.

MPEDA also discussed issues regarding the cultivation of vannamei under controlled conditions in India.

Ways to recover dues from overseas importers were also discussed.

With the recent global economic slowdown, the total amount outstanding had gone up and more such instances were getting reported.