India's farmed-shrimp industry, built largely on exports, is being urged to grow a market at home. The fifth edition of Shrimp Retail, held in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, on 29 and 30 September, gathered people from across the shrimp and seafood value chain to discuss how to move towards growth driven by domestic consumption.
The two-day event was organised by the ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA), Chennai, with P2C Communication, and co-sponsored by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB). About 325 progressive shrimp farmers, market leaders, retailers, entrepreneurs and researchers took part, and an exhibition area carried stalls from NFDB, ICAR institutes and industry partners.
Dr J. K. Jena, ICAR's Deputy Director General for Fisheries, said the sector's growth depends on science-based innovation, technology adoption and closer links between research institutions, farmers and markets. He listed what a domestic push needs: retail outlets, value addition, branding, cold chains and logistics, sustainability and a stronger farm-to-fork chain.
Dr K. K. Tripathy, Joint Secretary, EAC to the Prime Minister's Office, called for a shift from a conventional "blue economy" approach to a broader "blue perspective", and outlined government schemes for fisheries. NFDB chief executive Dr B. K. Behera said the board could help raise domestic consumption of fish and seafood, while former CIBA director Dr Kuldeep K. Lal said India's varied food preferences are an opening for a bigger home market for shrimp.
CIBA director Dr M. Kailasam set out the institute's work on production systems, disease management, indigenous shrimp feed and health products, precision aquaculture and the genetic improvement of the indigenous Indian white shrimp, Penaeus indicus. The institute received the Shrimp Innovation Award at the event, and the Shrimp Retail Advisory Award for its part in organising it.
The organisers said the meeting showed the need for closer coordination among science, production, processing, retail and consumption if India's domestic seafood market is to reach its potential, and for turning research into market linkages and value-added products in brackishwater aquaculture.
The account is based on a release from ICAR-CIBA, Chennai.
Photo: Gayandream / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source: ICAR
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