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Seafood exports see all-round dip in 2020-21
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SME Times News Bureau | 02 Jun, 2021
Covid appears to have taken a heavy toll in the seafood exports from the
country as these saw an all-round drop in quantity, value and in US
dollar terms during 2020-21, as compared to 2019-20.
According to
the figures released by the Marine Products Exports Development
Authority (MPEDA) on Wednesday, the drop in quantity was 10.88 per cent
as 11,49,341 tones was exported in the last fiscal as compared to
12,89,651 tones during 2019-20.
Likewise in value terms, the drop was 6.31 per cent, at Rs 43,717 crore as against Rs 46,662 crore during 2019-20.
In US dollar terms, the drop was 10.81 per cent, from $6,678 million to $5,956 million.
The
US and China are the major importers of Indian seafood, and frozen
shrimp continues to be the major export item followed by frozen fish.
MPEDA
Chairman K.S. Srinivas said the pandemic drastically affected seafood
exports during the first half of the year, but it revived well in the
last quarter of 2020-21.
"The aquaculture sector performed better
during the period 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," he said.
Frozen
shrimp contributed 51.36 per cent in quantity and 74.31 per cent of the
total dollar earnings. The US remained its largest importer (2,72,041
MT), followed by China (1,01,846 MT), the EU (70,133 MT), Japan (40,502
MT), Southeast 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.
"Shipments of chilled items and live items,
which were negatively affected due to the reduced air cargo connectivity
in the pandemic situation, fell by 16.89 per cent and 39.91 per cent in
volume, respectively," added Srinivas.
The US, with imports of
2,91,948 MT, continued to be the major importer of Indian seafood with a
share of 41.15 per cent in dollar terms.
Frozen shrimp remained
the principal item exported to the US while exports of Vannamei shrimp
showed an uptick of 6.75 per cent in quantity. However, its import of
Black Tiger shrimps decreased by 70.96 per cent and 65.24 per cent in
quantity and dollar terms, respectively.
China, with an import of
2,18,343 MT of seafood worth $939.17 million, remained the second
largest market with a share of 15.77 per cent in dollar earnings, and 19
per cent in quantity terms.
However, exports to this country
declined by 33.73 per cent and 31.68 per cent in quantity and dollar
terms, respectively. Frozen shrimp was the major item of exports to
China, accounting for a share of 46.64 per cent in quantity and 61.87
per cent in dollar earnings.
The EU, the third largest
destination with a share of 13.80 per cent in dollar value, imported
frozen shrimp as the major item. However, export of frozen shrimp to EU
countries decreased by 5.27 per cent and 6.48 per cent in quantity and
dollar value, respectively.
Exports to Southeast Asia had a share
of 11.17 per cent in dollar value. However, it declined by 2.56 per
cent in quantity and 5.73 per cent in dollar earnings. Shipments to
Japan, the fifth largest importer with a share of 6.92 per cent in
dollar terms, grew by 10.52 per cent in quantity but declined by 2.42
per cent in dollar value.
The Middle East, the sixth largest
destination with a share of 4.22 per cent in dollar value, declined by
15.30 per cent and 15.51 per cent in quantity and dollar terms,
respectively. Frozen shrimp was the major item of exports, having a
share of 72.23 per cent in dollar terms.
Srinivas noted that besides the pandemic impact, several other factors negatively impacted seafood exports during 2020-21.
"On
the production side, there were reduced fish landings due to less
number of fishing days, slow logistic movements and market
uncertainties. Scarcity of workers in fishing and processing plants,
paucity of containers at seaports, increased air freight charges and
limited flight availability affected exports, especially of high-value
chilled and live products," he said.
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Customs Exchange Rates |
Currency |
Import |
Export |
US Dollar
|
66.20
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64.50 |
UK Pound
|
87.50
|
84.65 |
Euro
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78.25
|
75.65 |
Japanese
Yen |
58.85 |
56.85 |
As on 13 Aug, 2022 |
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