New Delhi: With India’s seafood exports more than doubling over the last 10 years from Rs 30,213 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 60,523.89 crore during FY 2023-24, the Centre is now aiming to achieve an export turnover of $18 billion (Rs 1.57 lakh crore) by 2030, according to a statement issued by the Department of Fisheries on Tuesday.
The target forms a which forms part of Vision Document-2030 for India’s seafood exports that has been formulated by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) which functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the statement said. MPEDA plays a key role in overseeing the export of seafood from the country.
The Department of Fisheries is implementing the flagship PMMSY scheme with an investment of Rs 20,050 crore in the fisheries sector for a period of 5 years with effect from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 across all states and UTs which has led to the jump in exports.
The scheme envisages enhancing marine exports to Rs 1 lakh crore in 2024-25.
PMMSY addresses critical gaps in fish production, productivity, quality, technology, post-harvest infrastructure and management, modernization and strengthening of value chain, reduction of post-harvest losses and marketing infrastructure, the statement explained.
For creation and strengthening of marketing infrastructure, PMMSY has supported 27,189 units of fish transportation facilities (refrigerated vehicles, insulated vehicles, two wheelers/ three wheelers), 21 state of the art wholesale fish markets, 202 fish retail markets, 6,694 fish kiosks and 5 e-platform for e-trading and e-marketing of fish and fisheries products with total outlay of Rs 1,654.51 crore in all the states/UTs across the country, the official statement said.
To provide real-time and accurate price information to fishers and fish farmers and to help them for negotiating better price and profitability, the Department through National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) has launched the ‘Fish Market Price Information System’ (FMPIS) to capture and disseminate fish market prices of commercially important marine and inland fishes from 111 wholesale and retail fish markets in 29 states/UTs.
Further, the Department of Fisheries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) with an objective to provide a digital platform and empower all stakeholders including traditional fishermen, fish farmers producer organisation, entrepreneurs from fisheries sector to buy and sell their products through e-market place.
Further, PMMSY has supported 2,195 fisheries cooperatives as Fish Farmers Producer Organizations (FFPOs) with project outlay of Rs. 544.85 crore through National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) as implementing agencies, according to the statement.
In order to enhance India’s export competitiveness and higher price realisation, the PMMSY supports a basket of interventions/activities along the fisheries value chain including quality fish production, expansion, diversification and intensification of brackish water aquaculture, promotion of export-oriented species, infusion of technology, robust disease management and traceability, training and capacity building, creation of modern post-harvest infrastructure with seamless cold chain, development of modern fishing harbours and fish landing centres, the statement added.
(IANS)
