India’s Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) is marking five decades of operation with an ambitious plan to increase India’s seafood exports.
Launched in 1972 as a statutory body of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, MPEDA is all set to celebrate its golden jubilee, with India’s marine exports touching 1.4 million tonnes compared with just 35,523 tonnes in its inaugural year.
MPEDA chairman Dodda Venkata Swamy said the celebrations come amid continued efforts to capitalise on its progress in capture fisheries, value-added products and market promotion, and an export development plan to target export of US$20 billion in the next five years.
“It will require a growth rate of about 15 per cent. We need to sustain and accelerate the growth tempo to meet this target,” said Dodda Venkata Swamy.
MPEDA plans to identify around 20 export markets which account for about 90% of exports and assign each its own dedicated officer. Other plans include publishing a monthly market update and preparing a buyers’ directory for exporters.
The authority has also recently signed a deal with Cochin Port Trust to modernise Cochin Fisheries Harbour and has set up three allied bodies to promote aquaculture in Tamil Nadu, provide services to fishers in Kochi and financial and infrastructure support in Andhra Pradesh.
MPEDA has also launched an e-commerce platform connecting farmers and exporters, as well as a system to validate EU catch and ICCAT certificates along with opening 16 new labs for pre-harvest testing and 20 Aqua One Centres.
