Key Points
Centre sanctioned Rs 3,490 crore for fishing harbour infrastructure
Seafood exports doubled to Rs 60,523 crore in 10 years
PMMSY scheme targets $18 billion export turnover by 2030
Modernizing harbours in Visakhapatnam, Chennai, and other ports
The allocation was made in the last five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme, which provides for sustainable investment in infrastructure with the objective of enhancing production, productivity, and exports and addressing key gaps including reduction of post-harvest losses in various component of the value chain, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal informed the Rajya Sabha.
The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, promotes and regulates the export of marine products. The initiatives by the MPEDA for boosting shrimp exports are oriented towards production and processing.
To strengthen the export value chain, the government has also sanctioned projects adjacent to major ports namely, the modernisation and upgradation of the fishing harbours at Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Paradip, Cochin and Mumbai Port with 100 per cent financial assistance under the PMMSY in convergence with Sagarmala at a total cost of Rs 651.14 crores, Sonowal said.
During the financial year 2023-24, India exported an all-time high volume of 17,81,602 metric tonnes of seafood worth Rs. 60,523.89 crore.
The Centre is now aiming to achieve an export turnover of $18 billion (Rs 1.57 lakh crore) by 2030. The target forms a part of Vision Document 2030 for India’s seafood exports that has been formulated by MPEDA.
The Department of Fisheries is implementing the flagship PMMSY scheme with an investment of Rs 20,050 crore in the fisheries sector for a period of 5 years with effect from the FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 across all states and UTs which has led to the jump in exports. The scheme envisages enhancing marine exports to Rs 1.0 lakh crores in 2024-25.