Odisha marine exports dip by 9%

The export of marine food products from Odisha has come down by nine per cent due to lower price realization in FY16 compared to the previous financial year.

"The provisional value of exports in FY16 is pegged at Rs 1,880.50 crore compared to Rs 2,070 crore achieved in FY15. The amount difference is due to less realisation of prices though the volume of exports has gone up," said Ajay Dash, president , The Sea Food Exporters’ Association of India (SEAI) -- Odisha region.

Quantity wise, the exports have registered a growth. The state exported 37,867.5 tonnes of marine food products in FY16 against 34,800 tonne clocked in FY15, he added.

The decline in export value can be attributed to increase sales of block products to countries like Vietnam for re-processing compared to the value added products, which fetch about 15 per cent higher price.

Within the country, Odisha catch found its way to other states for processing affecting the value realisation. Andhra Pradesh sourced about 20 per cent of the Odisha crops during last October and November to feed its value added plants.

This apart, bumper crops in Indonesia and Ecuador have added to the woes, Dash said.

The sea catch products also did not fetch better realizations due to the good availability of Vannamie products.

Dash said, the exports scenario do not seem lucrative in FY17 as the contiguous state Andhra Pradesh has already sourced about 30 per cent of raw catch from Odisha for forward shipment abroad after processing. Similarly, hike in the anti-dumping duty by US has come as a dampner .

The exporters are skeptic about the achievement of Rs 10,000 crore mark by 2020 set by the state government.

Odisha mainly exports to countries like US, Japan, European Union, China, Southeast Asia and West Asia.

With an objective to increase the productivity and production of fish from island, brackishwater and marine resources, the state government has promulgated a policy in 2015 in the name and style of Odisha Fishery Policy-2015.

The sector specific policy targets 7.15 lakh tonne total fish production by the end of 2019-20 from 4.13 lakh tonnes recorded in 2013-14. It is also projected to increase the inland fish production from 2.63 lakh tonnes to about 5.30 lakh tonnes in the next five years.