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NFDB targets 6% annual growth in fish production |
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The National Fisheries Development Board has set a target for six per cent annual growth in fish production —two per cent in marine fisheries sector and eight per cent in inland fisheries.
“With this, it also plans to improve support infrastructure like improving the supply of ice, setting up of cold storage facilities and improve the fish buying experience in the retail markets,” according to MV Rao, chief executive of NFDB.
India is the second largest fish producing country in the world with estimated fish production at 9.06 million tonnes. NFDB now has set a target of 11.6 million tonnes in five years.
Fish and fish products are also among the largest groups in agricultural exports of India. During 2012-13, 9.28 lakh tonne marine products were exported. This is 7.68 per cent more than 8.62 lakh tonne exported during 2011-12.
In value terms, it was Rs 18.856 crore ($3,511.6m), up 13.61 per cent from Rs 16,597 crore ($ 3,508.45m) in 2011-12.
This, according to the data of Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA), is the highest ever in quantity, rupee value and dollar terms.
The increase in exports should be viewed in the light of weaker economic conditions in the European Union, recovering economy in the US, moderate growth in China, technical barriers to trade by Japan, continuing anti-dumping duty and continuous devaluation of the Indian currency, MPEDA said adding supply conditions in other countries too have recovered compared with the previous year.
Increased production of Vannamei shrimp, increased productivity of black tiger shrimp and increased export of chilled items have helped in achieving higher exports, it said adding that frozen shrimp accounted for 51.35 per cent of the total dollar earnings while fish accounted for 18 per cent.
Southeast Asia, European Union, USA, Japan, China are the key export markets. MPEDA is envisaging exports worth $4.3 billion for 2013-14.
“There is potential for improving the per capita fish from the current 6 kg per year to about 18 kg per annum,” said Rao adding that average productivity of reservoirs has increased to 100 kg per hectare from the earlier 20 kg per hectare due to its reservoir fisheries development initiative in about 2.02 million hectare.
Among others, NFDB is encouraging intensive aquaculture in ponds and tanks.
For promotion of cold water fisheries in Arunchal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Sikkim, NFDB has so far set up 654 trout raceway units, 800 running water fish culture units and establishment of trout feed mills, he added.
Source : mydigitalfc.com
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