With the aim of improving traceability and creating a “farm-to-fork” model for its shrimp and other farmed aquatic species, India’s Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has launched a GPS-based database of the country’s export-oriented aquaculture farms.
The database will include all farms and hatcheries involved in the production for export of shrimp, shellfish, and fish. The system will provide a unique identification number (Farm ID) linked to a quick response (QR) code, allowing those buying shrimp and other farmed seafood track their purchases to the individual farm and hatchery where they were raised, according to MPEDA.
“Such a measure would go a long way in addressing concerns of U.S.A., Japan and the [European Union] for stringent quality controls over exports of seafood and check traces of banned antibiotics in consignments,” MPEDA Chairman A Jayathilak said, according to The New Indian Express.
Jayathilak said the system will help identify bad actors in the case of detection of unwanted or unauthorized substances in shrimp or other Indian seafood. The system can also be used to better target government assistance schemes and analyze their effectiveness, he said.
According to MPEDA, the majority of India’s aquaculture farms (covering approximately 195,994 hectares) are located in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the union territories of Daman and Diu and Pondicherry.
Out of the estimated 100,000 farms located in the country, MPEDA has thus far collected GPS data for 65,595 farms covering 148,321 hectares, while enrollment has been completed for 54,165 farms, the paper reported. More than 65,000 farmers have been enrolled in Andhra Pradesh alone.
