Bid to upgrade quality helps increase seafood exports

INDIA - One of the achievements of the Indian seafood industry during last financial year was the quality upgradation it could achieve to improve its business in European Union (E.U.) countries.

The E.U. continued to be a major market for Indian seafood during last financial year as during 2004-05. The E.U. accounted for 29 per cent of the Indian seafood exports. The total value of exports crossed the $1.5 million mark for the first time last fiscal. The U.S. accounted for 23 per cent of the seafood exports.

The increase in export of seafood to E.U. destinations is significant because exports to the U.S. had gone up only marginally and to Japan and South-East Asian countries declined.

There are 157 seafood processing units and 19 frozen cold storages in the country which are approved for exports to the E.U. As a result, India has generally been successful in crossing stiff barriers such as stringent maximum residue level for antibiotic and heavy metals.

Source: The Hindu