Marine testing centres to be set up in AP

For the first time in India, three farm-level antibiotic testing laboratories for aquaculture output will be set up soon.

The laboratories, to come up in Nellore, Ongole and Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh, are being jointly set up by Seafood Exporters' Association of India (SEAI) and Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).

The laboratories, equipped with facilities such as Elisa Reader, primarily to detect pesticide residue in shrimp output, will start operations in 4-6 weeks, according to sources at SEAI. SEAI has decided to set up farm-level laboratories in order to strictly adhered to the quality norms laid down by the European Union (EU), the US and Japan in recent years. The three testing centres will together cost more than Rs 1 crore.

Major shrimp exporting countries such as China, Thailand and Vietnam have already introduced farm-level testing facilities in order to check pesticide residue and other contamination at the raw material production level itself.

Although SEAI had set up the most modern testing laboratories at major processing centres in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, this is for the first time that farm-level testing facilities are being introduced. The association has also planned to set up similar facility in Balasore, Orissa, another major shrimp farming centre.

The second phase of the project for expansion of the referral laboratory at Aroor, near Kochi, where almost 50 per cent of the marine products processing units are located, will be completed by December 2007.

The facility, one of the best in south east Asia, will have additional equipment such as spectro photo meter, turbidity meter and iron chromotograph. The equipment have been imported from Germany, USA and Japan.

SEAI, with the financial support of the ministry of commerce, will be investing Rs 4.5 crore for the expansion work.

The laboratory, which has recently got accreditation from National Accreditation Board for Laboratories (NABL), has the facility to detect various types of adulteration in food items.

Leading Kochi-based exporters said that in spite of efforts put in by exporters, SEAI and MPEDA, there are stray incidents of rejection of export consignments on the ground of quality. He, however, added that such incidents were exaggerated by the media and that hit the sector badly.