Farm shrimp production in India is set to fall 15% this fiscal year, farmers and traders said, citing the extensive damage caused by cyclonic storm Gaja that hit Tamil Nadu earlier this month.
Farm shrimp production in India is set to fall 15% this fiscal year, farmers and traders said, citing the extensive damage caused by cyclonic storm Gaja that hit Tamil Nadu earlier this month.
They said the storm hit the seafood industry at a time when it was recovering from the impact of a fall in global shrimp prices.
India emerged the world’s top supplier of shrimps in 2017-18 with an output of 6 lakh tonnes. Tamil Nadu is the largest producer of farmed shrimps in the country after Andhra Pradesh.
“Infrastructure like roads and buildings have suffered heavy damage, cutting off access to these places,” said S Muthukaruppan, past president of Society of Aquaculture Professionals.
He said stocking and harvest of shrimps will be delayed in Tamil Nadu towns of Nagapattinam, Vedaranyam and Muthupet, which are known for their shrimp production.
“Already the first two harvests this year have not been that good due to rains and diseases,” said V Balasubramaniam, general secretary of Prawn Farmers Federation of India. “Though big farms in Tamil Nadu have started stocking young shrimps for harvest a few months later, it will take more time for the small farms to get ready.”
Farms in Andhra Pradesh, the largest producer, start stocking activity by January-February. Frozen shrimps account for 70% of the value of the seafood export from the country that touched a record Rs 45,000 crore last year. The first quarter of the current fiscal saw a 7% rise in volumes and over 8% rise in value year-on-year at 299,354 tonnes valued at Rs 10,888 crore.
At present, demand from the US, the largest buyer, is driving the Indian seafood exports. According to a report by trade finance company Drip Capital, there are mixed signals for the shrimp exports in the seasons ahead. While increased competition and decreased demand from Europe seem to be depressing sales, analysts expect Indian shrimp exports to the US will continue to grow by 15-20% this year.
The share of Europe in Indian seafood exports has fallen by about 20% in the last 10 years to 16%. The share of the US currently stands at 33%.
Exporters are meeting farmers in coastal states to make them aware about antibiotics and diseases before implementation of seafood import monitoring programmes (SIMP) begins in the US on January 1.
They said the storm hit the seafood industry at a time when it was recovering from the impact of a fall in global shrimp prices.
India emerged the world’s top supplier of shrimps in 2017-18 with an output of 6 lakh tonnes. Tamil Nadu is the largest producer of farmed shrimps in the country after Andhra Pradesh.
“Infrastructure like roads and buildings have suffered heavy damage, cutting off access to these places,” said S Muthukaruppan, past president of Society of Aquaculture Professionals.
He said stocking and harvest of shrimps will be delayed in Tamil Nadu towns of Nagapattinam, Vedaranyam and Muthupet, which are known for their shrimp production.
“Already the first two harvests this year have not been that good due to rains and diseases,” said V Balasubramaniam, general secretary of Prawn Farmers Federation of India. “Though big farms in Tamil Nadu have started stocking young shrimps for harvest a few months later, it will take more time for the small farms to get ready.”
Farms in Andhra Pradesh, the largest producer, start stocking activity by January-February. Frozen shrimps account for 70% of the value of the seafood export from the country that touched a record Rs 45,000 crore last year. The first quarter of the current fiscal saw a 7% rise in volumes and over 8% rise in value year-on-year at 299,354 tonnes valued at Rs 10,888 crore.
At present, demand from the US, the largest buyer, is driving the Indian seafood exports. According to a report by trade finance company Drip Capital, there are mixed signals for the shrimp exports in the seasons ahead. While increased competition and decreased demand from Europe seem to be depressing sales, analysts expect Indian shrimp exports to the US will continue to grow by 15-20% this year.
The share of Europe in Indian seafood exports has fallen by about 20% in the last 10 years to 16%. The share of the US currently stands at 33%.
Exporters are meeting farmers in coastal states to make them aware about antibiotics and diseases before implementation of seafood import monitoring programmes (SIMP) begins in the US on January 1.