Seafood exports from India see all-round dip in 2020-21

Kochi : Covid appears to have taken a heavy toll in the seafood exports from the country as these saw an all-round drop in quantity, value and in US dollar terms during 2020-21, as compared to 2019-20.

According to the figures released by the Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) on Wednesday, the drop in quantity was 10.88 per cent as 11,49,341 tones was exported in the last fiscal as compared to 12,89,651 tones during 2019-20.

Likewise in value terms, the drop was 6.31 per cent, at Rs 43,717 crore as against Rs 46,662 crore during 2019-20.

In US dollar terms, the drop was 10.81 per cent, from $6,678 million to $5,956 million.

The US and China are the major importers of Indian seafood, and frozen shrimp continues to be the major export item followed by frozen fish.

MPEDA Chairman K.S. Srinivas said the pandemic drastically affected seafood exports during the first half of the year, but it revived well in the last quarter of 2020-21.

"The aquaculture sector performed better during the period by contributing 67.99 per cent of exported items in dollar terms and 46.45 per cent in quantity, which is 4.41 per cent and 2.48 per cent higher, respectively when compared to 2019-20," he said.

Frozen shrimp contributed 51.36 per cent in quantity and 74.31 per cent of the total dollar earnings. The US remained its largest importer (2,72,041 MT), followed by China (1,01,846 MT), the EU (70,133 MT), Japan (40,502 MT), Southeast Asia (38,389 MT), and the Middle East (29,108 MT).

However, shrimp exports declined by 9.47 per cent in dollar value and 9.50 per cent in quantity. The overall shrimp export was 5,90,275 MT worth $4,426.19 million.

"Shipments of chilled items and live items, which were negatively affected due to the reduced air cargo connectivity in the pandemic situation, fell by 16.89 per cent and 39.91 per cent in volume, respectively," added Srinivas.

The US, with imports of 2,91,948 MT, continued to be the major importer of Indian seafood with a share of 41.15 per cent in dollar terms.

Frozen shrimp remained the principal item exported to the US while exports of Vannamei shrimp showed an uptick of 6.75 per cent in quantity. However, its import of Black Tiger shrimps decreased by 70.96 per cent and 65.24 per cent in quantity and dollar terms, respectively.

China, with an import of 2,18,343 MT of seafood worth $939.17 million, remained the second largest market with a share of 15.77 per cent in dollar earnings, and 19 per cent in quantity terms.

However, exports to this country declined by 33.73 per cent and 31.68 per cent in quantity and dollar terms, respectively. Frozen shrimp was the major item of exports to China, accounting for a share of 46.64 per cent in quantity and 61.87 per cent in dollar earnings.

The EU, the third largest destination with a share of 13.80 per cent in dollar value, imported frozen shrimp as the major item. However, export of frozen shrimp to EU countries decreased by 5.27 per cent and 6.48 per cent in quantity and dollar value, respectively.

Exports to Southeast Asia had a share of 11.17 per cent in dollar value. However, it declined by 2.56 per cent in quantity and 5.73 per cent in dollar earnings. Shipments to Japan, the fifth largest importer with a share of 6.92 per cent in dollar terms, grew by 10.52 per cent in quantity but declined by 2.42 per cent in dollar value.

The Middle East, the sixth largest destination with a share of 4.22 per cent in dollar value, declined by 15.30 per cent and 15.51 per cent in quantity and dollar terms, respectively. Frozen shrimp was the major item of exports, having a share of 72.23 per cent in dollar terms.

Srinivas noted that besides the pandemic impact, several other factors negatively impacted seafood exports during 2020-21.

"On the production side, there were reduced fish landings due to less number of fishing days, slow logistic movements and market uncertainties. Scarcity of workers in fishing and processing plants, paucity of containers at seaports, increased air freight charges and limited flight availability affected exports, especially of high-value chilled and live products," he said.