March 28, 2024

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Covid, sluggish overseas markets, hit India’s seafood exports in 2020-21

The Covid pandemic and sluggish overseas markets have cast their shadow around India’s resurgent seafood sector, as the state exported 11,49,341 tonnes of maritime items value Rs forty three,717.26 crore ($five.ninety six billion) in the course of FY 2020-21, dropping by 10.88 per cent in volume conditions in contrast with the year-in the past period of time.

 

The US, China and the European Union have been the major importers, while frozen shrimp retained its place as the key export merchandise, adopted by frozen fish.

In 2019-twenty, India exported 12,89,651 tonnes of seafood value Rs 46,662.eighty five crore ($six.sixty eight billion), marking a six.31 per cent drop in rupee conditions and 10.81 per cent in greenback value in 2020-21.

“The pandemic dramatically afflicted seafood exports in the course of the very first 50 percent of the year, but it revived perfectly in the last quarter of 2020-21. Also, the aquaculture sector executed much better in the course of this fiscal by contributing sixty seven.ninety nine per cent of exported products in greenback conditions and 46.forty five per cent in amount, which is 4.41 per cent and 2.forty eight per cent increased, respectively, when in contrast to 2019-twenty,” stated K. S. Srinivas, Chairman of the Maritime Products Export Improvement Authority.

Frozen shrimp contributed 51.36 per cent in amount and seventy four.31 per cent of the whole greenback earnings. The US remained its most significant importer (2,seventy two,041 tonnes), adopted by China (1,01,846 tones), the EU (70,133 tonnes), Japan (forty,502 tonnes), South-East Asia (38,389 tonnes), and West Asia (29,108 tonnes).

On the other hand, shrimp exports declined by 9.47 per cent in greenback value and 9.50 per cent in amount. Overall, shrimp exports have been five,ninety,275 tonnes value $4,426.19 million. The export of Vannamei (white leg) shrimp lowered from five,12,204 tonnes to 4,ninety two,271 tonnes in 2020-21.

Japan, the key market place for Black Tiger (Penaeus monodon) shrimp, had a 39.sixty eight per cent share in greenback conditions, adopted by the US (26.03 per cent), South-East Asia (9.32 per cent), the EU (8.95 per cent ), West Asia (six.04 per cent) and China (three.seventy six per cent).

Other factors that afflicted exports

Moreover the pandemic influence, the Mpeda chairman stated many other factors negatively impacted seafood exports in the course of 2020-21. On the manufacturing aspect, there have been diminished fish landings owing to much less fishing times, sluggish logistic movements and market place uncertainties. Shortage of workers in fishing and processing plants, paucity of containers at seaports, improved air freight prices and restricted flight availability afflicted exports, particularly of high-value chilled and reside items.

The scenario in the overseas market place was one more dampener. In China, container lack, improved freight prices, and Covid screening on seafood consignments prompted market place uncertainties. In the US, shortage of containers designed it hard for exporters to execute orders in time. Closure of the HoReCa (hotel, restaurant and café) phase also afflicted need. In Japan and the EU, Covid-induced lockdowns designed retail, restaurant, supermarket and hotel intake sluggish.