A business delegation led by chief secretary Gokul Chandra Pati is likely to visit to Portugal in March to explore business opportunities for sea food, tourism, textiles and handicrafts products in that country.
"There is proposal to visit to Portugal in March to explore the business potential there. Mostly representatives from industries of sea food, handloom, textile and tourism will visit Portugal to explore exports opportunities. May be representatives from the food processing sector will be included in the team," said Pati after attending an interactive meeting with J N Misra, ambassador to Portugal organised by the Sea Food Exporter Association of India (Odisha chapter).
Artisans, cooks and dancers from the state are also likely to accompany the delegation.
Stating that sea food sector is a promising area in Portugal, the envoy informed that Portugal is the major market for sea food products since its per capita consumption of marine food is the highest in the world.
It may be noted that sea food exports from Odisha were valued at Rs 1,817 crore in the last fiscal, of which exports to the European Union stood at Rs 250 crore. Twenty one seafood processing units are exporting their products, out of which 11 units have been approved by European Union.
Speaking on the occasion , Gorachand Mohanty , President , SEAI said that there is no use of antibiotics in the aquaculture farming in the state. Odisha has fresh water area of 673,000 hectares (ha) and brackish water area of 418,000 ha along with 480 km of coastal line. With this natural resource, the state has potential to produce 650,000 tonne of fisheries products per year. At present, nearly three per cent of the state's population is engaged in fishing and contribution of fishery to GSDP (gross state domestic product) is around six per cent.
The business meet is likely to be funded from the market access initiative funds of the Union ministry of external affairs, said Mishra.
Besides a presentation on sea food sector, presentations were also made by representatives from the Hotel & Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO), hand loom and handicrafts sectors. Bishnupada Sethi, secretary, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development and Rajesh Verma, secretary, Agriculture also spoke on the occasion.
"There is proposal to visit to Portugal in March to explore the business potential there. Mostly representatives from industries of sea food, handloom, textile and tourism will visit Portugal to explore exports opportunities. May be representatives from the food processing sector will be included in the team," said Pati after attending an interactive meeting with J N Misra, ambassador to Portugal organised by the Sea Food Exporter Association of India (Odisha chapter).
Artisans, cooks and dancers from the state are also likely to accompany the delegation.
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However, specific date of the tour is yet to be finalised.
Stating that sea food sector is a promising area in Portugal, the envoy informed that Portugal is the major market for sea food products since its per capita consumption of marine food is the highest in the world.
It may be noted that sea food exports from Odisha were valued at Rs 1,817 crore in the last fiscal, of which exports to the European Union stood at Rs 250 crore. Twenty one seafood processing units are exporting their products, out of which 11 units have been approved by European Union.
Speaking on the occasion , Gorachand Mohanty , President , SEAI said that there is no use of antibiotics in the aquaculture farming in the state. Odisha has fresh water area of 673,000 hectares (ha) and brackish water area of 418,000 ha along with 480 km of coastal line. With this natural resource, the state has potential to produce 650,000 tonne of fisheries products per year. At present, nearly three per cent of the state's population is engaged in fishing and contribution of fishery to GSDP (gross state domestic product) is around six per cent.
The business meet is likely to be funded from the market access initiative funds of the Union ministry of external affairs, said Mishra.
Besides a presentation on sea food sector, presentations were also made by representatives from the Hotel & Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO), hand loom and handicrafts sectors. Bishnupada Sethi, secretary, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development and Rajesh Verma, secretary, Agriculture also spoke on the occasion.