Here is some good news for aqua farmers. The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) has accorded permission for setting up Aquatic Quarantine Facility (AQF) and Brood Stock Multiplication Centre (BMC) in Andhra Pradesh. MoA gave its consent for the projects on July 7. AQF and BMC will be established in Viskhapatnam district. The estimated cost of the two projects is about Rs. 50 crore and the centres will be set up in a year, said the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) authorities. The two projects will be set up in 30 hectares at Bangarammapeta village. MPEDA, and its research unit, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA) will provide necessary technical support for the proposed AQF and BMC, said MPEDA Deputy Director S. Kandan. MPEDA achieved all time high in exporting seafood worth about $ 5511.12 million during 2014-15, which decreased by 10 per cent in 2015-16 due to fall in export price in the international market and other issues. The government has set a target for $ 6 million by 2018, Dr. Kandan told The Hindu . Stating that the U.S. is the major exporter, followed by South East Asian countries and European Union, the MPEDA official said the Indian Seafood Export Sector is gearing up to meet the challenges in the international market with the cooperation of the stakeholders to increase the exports. Farmers are forced to go to AQF and BMC located in Chennai for testing the samples. Once the facilities are established in AP, many farmers from coastal districts will benefit, he said. Stakeholders’ plea MPEDA Chairman A. Jayathilak, who visited Andhra Pradesh recently, enquired about the problems of the stakeholders. They urged the MPEDA Chairman to set up shrimp testing labs, provide single window for all registrations and permissions for aqua farms and regulate the quality of aqua inputs and chemicals in the State and the chairman responded positively. There is vast scope for tapping the overseas markets. A common platform will be set up for sustainable aquaculture development with the help of MoA, Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) and the AP Fisheries Department, said Dr. Jayathilak.
2016, The Hindu