Euro crisis, Japan's rejection hit seafood export

New regulation and certification systems by China also had adverse effect

India had suffered a setback on export of seafood during the April-September period (H1) of the current financial year. Global economic recession, especially in the Euro zone, coupled with the slowdown in export of shrimp to Japan, led to this, said major Kochi-based exporters.

The Euorpean Union (EU) fell to the second spot after USA, after a gap of around four years, in the export table. New regulations and certification systems by markets like China also adversely affected exports during the period.

Detection of ethoxyquin, an anti-oxidant used in shrimp feed, above the permitted level, had stalled exports to Japan for weeks. This caused huge losses to exporters in Odisha and West Bengal.

FROZEN IN CRISIS
	H1 2011-12	H1 2012-13	% growth
Quantity (tonnes)	374,923	349,009	-6.91
Value (Rs cr)	7,942.64	7,979.93	0.47
Value ($mn)	1,775.38	1,480.73	-16.60
Unit value ($/kg)	4.74	4.24	-10.40

The issue remains unresolved. India has sought intervention of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in resolving the matter. Though there has been a sharp reduction in prices of items, especially those of shrimps in the global markets, a nominal growth (0.47 per cent) was recorded in export earnings in rupee value. This is thanks to the fall of the rupee against the dollar in the past six-seven months.

Exports in the first half of this year were 349,009 tonnes, valued at Rs 7,979.9 crore, equivalent to $1,480.7 million.

Compared to the corresponding period of last year, exports declined 6.9 per cent in quantity and 16.6 per cent in dollar earnings.

Frozen shrimp continued to be the major export item, accounting for 55.4 per cent of total dollar earnings. In volume terms, its export decreased one per cent.

Export of frozen fish, squid and cuttlefish also decreased in terms of quantity and value.

The unit value of exports also showed a decline to the tune of 10.4 per cent, provisional data of the Marine Products Export Development Authority said.

Major markets
The US became the largest buyer of Indian marine products, with a share of 24.3 per cent, followed by the EU (24.2 per cent), Southeast Asia (18.1 per cent), Japan (12.5 per cent), West Asia (6.3 per cent) and China at 5.47 per cent.

Exports to the US registered a growth of 11.4 per cent in terms of quantity and 9.3 per cent in rupee value, while showing a decline of 9.8 per cent in dollar terms.