Seafood export from Odisha reached Rs 3,000 crore

Bhubaneswar: The seafood export from Odisha reached Rs 3,000 crore during the financial year 2018-19.

It was revealed from the Sea Food Exporters’ Association of India (Odisha Region) meeting addressed by Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy here on Wednesday evening.

Association president Dr Kamalesh Mishra said the achievement was made due to facilitating and promotional policies of the Government.

Considering the Association’s proposal for progress of brackish water aquaculture, the Chief Secretary directed the Fisheries and Animal Resource Department (F&ARD) to expedite power and road connectivity to all the identified clusters.

“Since the sector has vast scope for employment generation and enhancing of economic activity at the ground level, the Government is committed to provide infrastructural support to the sector for making it more competitive in the international market,” said the CS.

F and ARD Secretary R Raghu Prasad mentioned that 107 brackish aquaculture clusters have been identified in various places. Out of this, 19 clusters have been taken up for development in first phase. The Odisha Space Application Center through satellite imagery has identified around 3000 hectors of land suitable for brackish water aqua culture.

Tripathy directed to prepare a timeline for power and road connectivity to all these clusters. Fisheries Director N Thirumala Nayak said Odisha sea food finds its major market in Eastern Europe, Japan, China, Middle East and south eastern Asian countries.

The issues relating to creation of captive aqua culture farms for the exporters, value addition and product innovation in the sector, early release of subsidy to the farmers and exporters, development of road connectivity, land allotment for sea food parks, establishment of viral test and quality certification lab were discussed.

The executive members of the association expressed their concern about shifting of DGFT office from Odisha to Kolkata. Falcon Group chairperson Tara Patnaik participated in the deliberations, among others.