Seafood export: Bengal generates additional revenue worth over Rs 1147 cr during FY 2021-22

KOLKATA: Export of seafood from Bengal has grown by 14955 tonnes in the year 2021-22. It has fetched an additional revenue worth Rs 1147.35 crore. The COVID-19 pandemic and the sluggish seafood market had resulted in a slight dip in revenue in the fiscal 2020-21 when Bengal exported 88443 tonnes of sea food and had earned a revenue of Rs 3595.12 crore.

"In the fiscal 2021-22, we have exported 103998 tonnes and earned Rs 4742.47 crore revenue," a senior official of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) - the nodal agency for the holistic development of sea food industry in India said.

Among the marine products exported, frozen shrimp that accounts for bulk of the products exported alone fetched Rs 3771.79 crore with 66295 tonnes being exported.

USA accounted for the highest export of marine products from Bengal with 21401 tonnes being exported and the total revenue earned being Rs 1310.88 crore.

China figured second in the list with 17587 tonnes being exported worth Rs 824.14 crore followed by Europeon Union which saw 15530 tonnes export from Bengal against Rs 810.87 crores.

Shrimp accounts for 70 per cent export while the other fishes that are exported are other prawn varieties, pomfret, octopus and some other sea fishes. Bengal accounts for 12 per cent of the sea food export from India and more than 70 per cent being prawn varieties, whose cultivation is done exhaustively in three districts -North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas and East Midnapore. About 80 to 85 per cent of prawn cultivated in the state is exported and around 15 per cent is used for domestic customers.

Apart from USA, China and Middle East sea food from Bengal is exported to Japan, South East Asia, Middle East and some other countries .

The other maritime states that export seafood are Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamilnadu, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat etc.