Nellore: Despite the Covid pandemic casting its shadow on business and trading activities, the seafood sector in Andhra Pradesh contributed 38.16 per cent of the total export revenue in the sector during the financial year 2020-21.
While the country exported 11,49,341 metric tonnes of marine products worth Rs 43,717.26 crore ($ 5.96 billion), AP share was 2,89,655 MT worth Rs
16,683.11 crore. In terms of quantity, Vizag port share was 18.83 per cent
and 28.28 per cent value-wise.
Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) officials said that
Vizag port stood first in seafood export in terms of value. AP has also
secured first place in the export at all India level. Similarly,
Krishnapatnam Port bagged a fourth place in the export of seafood
products.
In a statement, K S Srinivas, the chairman of MPEDA, said India registered a
contraction of 10.88 per cent in volume as compared to the previous year.
USA, China and the European Union (EU) were the leading importers, while
frozen shrimp retained its position as the major export item followed by
frozen fish.
In 2019-20, India exported 12,89,651 MT seafood worth Rs 46,662.85 crore
(US$ 6.68 billion), marking a decline of 6.31 per cent in rupee terms and
10.81 per cent in dollar value in 2020-21.
“The pandemic drastically affected seafood exports during the first half of
the year, but it revived well in the last quarter of 2020-21.
Also, the aquaculture sector performed better during this fiscal by
contributing 67.99 per cent of exported items in dollar terms and 46.45 per
cent in quantity, which is 4.41 per cent and 2.48 per cent higher,
respectively when compared to 2019-20,” the chairman said.
According to Srinivasan, frozen shrimp contributed 51.36 per cent in
quantity and 74.31 per cent of the total dollar earnings.
USA remained its largest importer (2,72,041 MT), followed by China (1,01,846
MT), EU (70,133 MT), Japan (40,502 MT), South East Asia (38,389 MT), and the
Middle East (29,108 MT).
However, shrimp exports declined by 9.47 per cent in dollar value and 9.50
per cent in quantity. The overall shrimp export was 5,90,275 MT worth
$4,426.19 million. The export of Vannamei (white leg) shrimp, which is
widely cultured in AP, decreased from 5,12,204 MT to 4,92,271 MT in 2020-21.
Of the total Vannamei shrimp exports in dollar value, 56.37 per cent was
exported to the USA, China accounted for 15.13 per cent, EU 7.83 per cent,
South-East Asia 5.76 per cent, Japan 4.96 per cent and the Middle East 3.59
per cent.
