India saw its fish production increase in financial year 2018-2019, with output varying among states, The Hindu Business Line reported.
India’s fish production rose nearly 6 percent to 13.34 million metric tons (MT) in 2018-2019, up from 12.59 million MT in 2017-2018, according to a written reply sent by Pratap Chandra Sarangi – of the Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying – to Shobha Karandlaje, a Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha – the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament.
Production has been steadily increasing over the last few years. It was 11.43 million MT in 2016-2017, and 10.26 million MT in 2014-2015, the newspaper reported.
Andhra Pradesh was the top state in fish production, with 3.99 million MT in 2018-2019 – up 16 percent from 3.44 mt in 2017-2018. It was followed by West Bengal, with 1.77 million MT, up 1.7 percent from 1.74 million MT in 2017-2018.
However, not all states saw gains on production. Production in Karnataka fell 3.3 percent to 0.58 million MT in 2018-2019, from 0.60 million MT in 2017-2018. Gujarat, as well, saw a production decrease – it dropped 13.25 percent year-on-year to 0.72 million MT in 2018-2019.
In addition to production increasing, the value of seafood exports from the country has also increased. The export of fish and fisheries products was worth USD 6.72 billion (EUR 6.04 billion) in 2018-2019, soaring 42.4 percent from 2014-2015.
While the overall value of exports increased, the export of fish and fisheries products from eight coastal states went down 2.9 percent year-on-year to 1.33 million MT in 2018-2019.
Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal were two states that saw the export of fish and fisheries products increase with other states sliding during 2018-2019.
During 2016-2019, the central government of India provided financial assistance of USD 167.6 million (EUR 150.6 million) to state and Union Territories for the development of fisheries including the fisheries infrastructure and post-harvest management.
Of the total, USD 67.9 million (EUR 61 million) was released in 2018-2019, USD 45.5 million (EUR 40 million) in 2017-2018, and USD 54.2 million (EUR 48.7 million) in 2016-2017.
Photo by Chris Chase/SeafoodSource
