Central Government Targets USD 14B Worth of Seafood Exports by 2025
According to a Union minister, the Centre aims to nearly double seafood exports to USD 14 billion by 2025. She stated that seafood exports are on the rise this fiscal year, with a 3% increase in volume.
"In 2021-22, the (seafood) exports figure was worth USD 7.76 billion, which was 17 per cent of our agriculture shipments. We have a target to achieve USD 14 billion by 2025," Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel said.
She was speaking at the India International Seafood Show 2023, which was inaugurated here.
According to Patel, India's commitment to safe and sustainable seafood production for export will pave the way for increased foreign direct investment, thereby contributing to the 'Make in India' initiative.
"We are also proceeding in a favourable manner with our Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with different important-export destinations.
"India, today, has become one of the most preferred and one of the very big seafood baskets for the world. We are supplying safe seafood to about 100 countries around the globe. At present, India is among the top five seafood- exporting countries," the minister said.
On use of antibiotics on shrimps for exports to European markets, she said "the matter has been taken up with the concerned authority, and we hope it will be resolved soon".
Patel also stated that the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) will hold a conference in Delhi in the second half of 2023 to discuss the harmonisation of regulations for seafood among G20 countries.