Covid, sluggish overseas markets, hit India’s seafood exports in 2020-21

The Covid pandemic and sluggish overseas markets have solid their shadow about India’s resurgent seafood sector, as the nation exported eleven,49,341 tonnes of maritime merchandise worth Rs 43,717.26 crore ($five.ninety six billion) throughout FY 2020-21, dropping by 10.88 for every cent in quantity phrases when compared with the year-back period of time.

 

The US, China and the European Union were being the main importers, though frozen shrimp retained its posture as the main export item, followed by frozen fish.

In 2019-twenty, India exported twelve,89,651 tonnes of seafood worth Rs forty six,662.85 crore ($six.68 billion), marking a six.31 for every cent drop in rupee phrases and 10.eighty one for every cent in dollar benefit in 2020-21.

“The pandemic drastically affected seafood exports throughout the to start with fifty percent of the year, but it revived properly in the very last quarter of 2020-21. Also, the aquaculture sector performed far better throughout this fiscal by contributing 67.ninety nine for every cent of exported objects in dollar phrases and forty six.forty five for every cent in amount, which is 4.forty one for every cent and two.48 for every cent bigger, respectively, when when compared to 2019-twenty,” explained K. S. Srinivas, Chairman of the Marine Products Export Advancement Authority.

Frozen shrimp contributed fifty one.36 for every cent in amount and seventy four.31 for every cent of the complete dollar earnings. The US remained its biggest importer (two,72,041 tonnes), followed by China (one,01,846 tones), the EU (70,133 tonnes), Japan (forty,502 tonnes), South-East Asia (38,389 tonnes), and West Asia (29,108 tonnes).

On the other hand, shrimp exports declined by 9.47 for every cent in dollar benefit and 9.50 for every cent in amount. Total, shrimp exports were being five,90,275 tonnes worth $4,426.19 million. The export of Vannamei (white leg) shrimp decreased from five,twelve,204 tonnes to 4,ninety two,271 tonnes in 2020-21.

Japan, the main industry for Black Tiger (Penaeus monodon) shrimp, experienced a 39.68 for every cent share in dollar phrases, followed by the US (26.03 for every cent), South-East Asia (9.32 for every cent), the EU (8.95 for every cent ), West Asia (six.04 for every cent) and China (3.76 for every cent).

Other components that affected exports

Other than the pandemic effects, the Mpeda chairman explained a number of other components negatively impacted seafood exports throughout 2020-21. On the manufacturing aspect, there were being decreased fish landings because of to much less fishing times, gradual logistic movements and industry uncertainties. Shortage of workers in fishing and processing vegetation, paucity of containers at seaports, amplified air freight rates and constrained flight availability affected exports, in particular of large-benefit chilled and stay merchandise.

The scenario in the overseas industry was one more dampener. In China, container shortage, amplified freight rates, and Covid testing on seafood consignments caused industry uncertainties. In the US, shortage of containers produced it hard for exporters to execute orders in time. Closure of the HoReCa (hotel, cafe and café) phase also affected demand. In Japan and the EU, Covid-induced lockdowns produced retail, cafe, supermarket and hotel intake sluggish.