India has recorded a 9.7 per cent drop in exports of frozen shrimp between April 2008 and February 2009. But the export of other seafood items has grown by a similar percentage.
The country shipped 113,353 tonnes of frozen shrimp, valued at Rs 3,363.43 crore, against 125,515 tonnes valued at Rs 3,646.02 crore during the same period last year. The decline in exports in rupee terms was 7.75 per cent, and in dollar terms 16.82 per cent, according to the latest provisional estimates of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).
The contribution of shrimp to the seafood export kitty dropped to 44 per cent this year against 51.82 per cent in 2007-08. The export of other leading seafood items like frozen fish, frozen cuttle fish, frozen squid and dried items recorded an increase during the period. The setback to the exports of shrimp was mainly due to a sharp fall in imports by the US and Japan, the two leading markets for Indian seafood items. Export to Japan dropped by 15.44 per cent while US imported 33,050 tonnes, down by 2.2 per cent.
The fall in exports to Japan raises serious concerns as the country’s share in importing Indian items dropped to 9.58 per cent from 12.42 per cent in 2007-08. The contribution by US dropped marginally to 6.24 per cent from 6.72 per cent.
According to leading seafood exporters the main reason for the set back was the advent of low value Vannammei shrimp items from countries like China, Vietnam and Taiwan in these markets. The imposition of heavy customs bond and anti-dumping duty by the US Department of Commerce (DoC) had also badly affected exports to the US, they said.
The share of European Union (EU), the largest importer of Indian seafood items has decreased from 27.67 per cent in 2007-08 to 25.51 per cent. EU has maintained the same level of import at 135,238 tonnes valued at Rs 2,515.68 crore. China has imported 129,437 tonnes valued at Rs 1,122.38 crore in April – February period, contributing 24.42 per cent of the total volume of seafood shipments.
