New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) India’s seafood exports rose 13.93 per cent in value terms in April-October 2025 to $4,793.08 million from $4,207.08 million a year earlier, the government said on Friday, adding that total volume and value of shrimp exports from India to the US remained robust during the last five years.
However, the frozen shrimp shipments to the United States moderated in the same period, and the government has stepped up market‑diversification efforts, organising buyer–seller meets amid other efforts, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasada, said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
Frozen shrimp exports to the US fell to 55,282 tonnes valued at $512.81 million in August-October 2025 (provisional data), from 83,375 tonnes worth $673.98 million in the same period of 2024.
The minister further informed that the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has participated in major international seafood fairs across Asia and Europe. Reverse Buyer–Seller Meets in Chennai and New Delhi in 2025 facilitated over 100 buyer–exporter interactions.
MPEDA is also conducting sensitisation programmes on various FTAs to help exporters utilize new opportunities.
The Department of Commerce is also fast‑tracking free trade agreement talks, including with the European Union to resolve market access issues, while the Department of Fisheries has engaged with several APAC countries to strengthen quality assurance, biosecurity, cold‑chain improvements and R&D collaboration, informed the minister.
Support for shrimp farmers includes capacity building programmes, awareness campaigns, farm monitoring and aquaculture technician training.
Further MPEDA implemented domestication of tiger shrimp in Visakhapatnam for the production of SPF tiger shrimp broodstock from Indian strains.
MPEDA also implemented ‘SHAPHARI Certification’ of farms and hatcheries to assure that the products are antibiotic-free and disease free, produced through Best Management Practices, the statement said.
An Advanced Technological Transformation in Aquaculture scheme was introduced to enhance shrimp production using bio-secured circular tanks which provided financial assistance up to 50 per cent to 75 per cent of the capital cost to farmers.
GST rates on over 20 fisheries and aquaculture-related products such as farm equipment, feed ingredients, water conditioners and fishing nets were recently cut from 12–18 per cent to 5 per cent to lower costs and boost competitiveness.
–IANS
aar/na
