Odisha: Seafood export reaches Rs 3,000 cr mark in 2018-19

The seafood export from Odisha has reached Rs 3,000 crore in the year 2018-19.

The Sea Food Exporters' Association of India revealed the figures during a meeting which was attended by Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy in Bhubaneswar.

Dr Kamalesh Mishra, the president of the association said that this achievement has been possible because of the facilitating and promotional policies of the government during the last years.

Considering the proposals given by the association for the progress of brackishwater aquaculture in Odisha, Chief Secretary Tripathy 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, government is committed to provide infrastructural support to make the sector for making it more competitive in the international market," Tripathy said.

Secretary F & ARD R Raghu Prasad mentioned that 107 number of brackish aquaculture clusters have been identified in various places of the state mostly along the continental shelf. "Out of this, 19 clusters have been taken up for development in the first phase," he said.

Odisha Space Application Center through satellite imagery has identified around 3,000 hectors of land suitable for brackishwater aquaculture. Chief Secretary Tripathy directed to prepare a timeline for power and road connectivity to all these clusters. Director Fisheries N. Thirumala Nayak said, "Odisha seafood finds its major market in Eastern Europe, Japan, China, Middle East and southeastern Asian countries".

The issues relating to the creation of captive aquaculture 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 in sea Food Park, the establishment of viral test and quality certification lab etc were discussed in the meeting.