Odisha sets seafood export target at Rs 20,000 cr in 5 yrs

PTI 

Odisha is eyeing five-fold growth in seafood exports to Rs 20,000 crore in the next five years and is looking to facilitate infrastructure development such as improvement in fishing harbors to meet the target.

"Odisha has a huge potential to augment exports of seafood. We have set a target to increase the seafood export by five-fold," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said inaugurating a workshop 'Growth and Export Potential of Marine Products'.

The total quantity of marine products exported during 2014-15 from Odisha, was 34,767 MTs valued at Rs 2,069 crore, said the State's fisheries and animal resource secretary B.P. Sethi.

The trend shows a growth of 450 per cent over the export of 2000-2001, which was valued at Rs 379 crore, he said.

Odisha is one of the major maritime states having 480 km long coastline with 24,000 sq km area within the continental shelf which has ample potential for marine fisheries development, Sethi said.

The state, he said, has 24,031 hectares of suitable brackish water government land which can be utilized for fish cultivation including L Vannamei Culture, which has high potential for export.

The government plans to provide suitable land for brackish water aquaculture to beneficiaries under anti-poverty programme, persons under BPL category, fishermen by profession or by caste, landless persons and marginal farmers.

Also to educated unemployed persons, SHG, primary fisheries cooperative societies, women cooperatives who are eligible up to 5 haland and partnership farms, technical entrepreneurs state owned corporations and exporters who are entitled up to 10 hectares and more.

By harnessing brackish water resources through leasing, the department plans to enhance shrimp production to 3 lakh MT in the next 5 years, Sethi said.

To cope up with the increased production, infrastructure like ice plants, processing plants, refrigerated transportation vehicles, laboratories, equipment and machineries for culture activities, feed plants, road networks, electric connectivity to clusters will be required in addition to road connective to shrimp clusters, he said.