Andhra Pradesh has contributed 38% of the seafood worth 7,740 million US dollars exported by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) in 2021-22 financial year.
The exports figure was all time high in the history of the MPEDA as the Union Ministry of Commerce, Government of India had set a target of 7,809 million US dollars for the fiscal year, of which 99.12% was achieved, the officials said.
Andhra Pradesh has exported about 34% of the total exports from the country earlier, which increased to 38% the last fiscal, the MPEDA authorities said. Of the total exports, shrimp had a 70% share from Andhra Pradesh.
“Apart from shrimp, the MPEDA is exporting frozen fish, crab, squid, frozen cuttlefish and other varieties to the U.S.A., South East Asia, European Union and the middle east countries,” said MPEDA Regional Joint Director A. Jeybal on Friday.
A few shrimp varieties have a good demand in the international market. Andhra Pradesh tops in seafood exports in India, followed by Kerala, Maharshtra, Gujarat and Kerala, the officials said.
“We sent shipments from Visakhapatnam port (2,16,457 metric tonnes), Kolkata (1,16,419 MT), Kochi (1,43,552), Krishnapatnam (64,230 MT), Kakinada Port (8,968 MT) during the 2020-21 fiscal year,” Mr Jeybal said.
The coronavirus pandemic has hit the exports in 2019-20 fiscal year, as many countries that are major importers of seafood products, banned imports, causing a huge loss to the aqua farmers, exporters and other stakeholders in the State.
However, the exports have picked up and the MPEDA has achieved 99.12 % of the target, the MPEDA authorities said.
