Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate Aqua Aquaria India 2019, orgsed by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), here on Friday.
Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is orgsing this bi-annual event.
Announcing this at a press conference, here today, K.S. Srinivas, Chairman, MPEDA said: "This year's theme would be 'taking blue revolution to India's hinterland'. The government is focusing on expanding the scope of the seafood industry in states like Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Haryana, which do not have any coastal line."
"A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed with the Government of Telangana to develop a facility of hatcheries and training centres for export-oriented aquaculture species. Technical assistance will also be provided to set up on Aqua Quarantine facility at Hyderabad Airport through Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA)," Srinivas added.
Srinivas further said that Naidu will also be launching the swadeshi 'Pearl' brand Artemia, feed developed by RGCA under the Make in India programme. Artemia is at present imported from the US and China, costing foreign exchange. Tiger Prawn cultivation and export would also be revived during the event.
India's seafood industry has become one of the leading suppliers of quality marine products to all the major markets of the world. It is the second-largest aquaculture producer in the world. India is largest exporter of shrimps to the USA, the second-largest exporter of shrimps to Europe, and the third-largest exporter of shrimps to Japan.
Aquaculture contributes around 52 per cent of the total marine products export earnings of India. The major markets for Indian marine products are USA, EU, South East Asia, China, Japan and Middle East countries.
India's seafood exports have grown exponentially with the country shipping over 1.4 lakh million MT of seafood worth US$ 6.80 billion during the financial year 2018-19. The buoyancy in exports was propelled by increased aquaculture production particularly that of whiteleg shrimps (Litopenaeus vannamei). MPEDA has envisaged a target of US$ 15 billion for seafood exports for the year 2024, an official statement said.
Aqua Aquaria will showcase the diversification of potential species like seabass, Tilapia, Mud crab, which will boost the export-oriented aquaculture.
Dr Suvarna, Commissioner, Fisheries, Government of Telangana said, "Telangana holds immense potential in developing inland aquaculture and can significantly boost exports in the future. The state has an inland water resource base for fisheries and aquaculture is being carried out in more than 1000 ha area."
Around 5,000 delegates from India and abroad are expected to participate in the mega event where more than 200 stalls would display various production and harvest technologies, machinery and accessories in the export-oriented aquaculture as well as ornamental fishery sectors.
The large contingent of delegates would comprise farmers, entrepreneurs, hatchery operators, feed manufacturers, input suppliers, manufacturers, IT-enabled services and suppliers of various aquaculture and aquarium implements, from around the world. About 10 progressive and innovative farmers will be felicitated.
A seafood festival is also being orgsed on the sidelines of the event, in which a variety of seafood delicacies could be relished. The seafood festival is open for public.
( With inputs from ANI )