‘IISS, The World’s Seafood Basket’ is the theme of the Feb 15-17 event
Kolkata, Feb 14: India’s vigorous attempt to regain buoyancy in seafood exports in the post-pandemic phase, in the face of stiff global competition and a stringent inspection regime imposed by the European Union and Japan on shrimp consignments, will be on full display at the 23rd edition of India International Seafood Show (IISS) in the city from February 15-17.
The biennial showpiece event in the marine sector, organised by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) in association with the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI), will offer a robust platform to various industry stakeholders for inking business deals, forging new contacts, leveraging market linkages, and introducing new technologies and products to the global market.
‘IISS, The World’s Seafood Basket’ is the theme of the three-day event, to be held at the sprawling Biswa Bangala Mela Prangan in the city that would be having the conclave after a gap of 16 years.
Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Smt. Anupriya Patel will inaugurate the event.
MPEDA Chairman Shri Dodda Venkata Swamy IAS said the conclave would deliberate on measures to boost seafood production in the post-pandemic phase and chalk out an actionable roadmap for hassle-free exports of quality shrimps and other marine products from India.
At a media conference here today, Shri Swamy said several initiatives under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) would promote fish production, thereby increasing the availability of marine products for export. Further, the Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLIS) for the food sector is expected to realise the mantra “Make in India’ with ‘Make for World” by enhancing the competitiveness of the seafood processing sector.
This scheme is expected to make Indian manufacturers globally competitive, attract investments and cutting-edge technologies, ensure efficiencies, enhance exports and make the country an integral part of the global supply chain.
An international buyer-seller meet with particular emphasis on G20 countries will be organised along with IISS 2023. A technical session on various developments in the seafood industry and a special technical session on G20 countries will also be arranged parallel to the event.
Another objective is to highlight the country’s commitment towards sustainability in the entire value chain of seafood products, such as primary production, processing and transportation. It will also deliberate on technological advances in processing, traceability, and value addition to products for export.
The event will provide an ideal platform for interaction between Indian exporters and overseas importers of the country’s marine products. At the same time, manufacturers and suppliers would display and secure business deals for their processing machinery, packaging systems, processing ingredients, and cold chain systems. In addition, there will be an opening for service providers in the logistics and certifying/testing segments.
SEAI National President Mr Jagdish Fofandi said India is one of the largest producers of aquaculture with catches from pristine seas, has world-class processing facilities, and its seafood is one of the preferred quality products. “People are welcome to the event to witness these developments and interact with experts and various stakeholders,” he added.
Others at the press meet were MPEDA Director Shri M. Karthikeyan, Secretary Shri K.S. Pradeep and SEAI West Bengal Region President Shri Rajarshi Banerji.
IISS 2023 will have over 350 stalls spread over 7,000 sqm, showcasing a wide range of products based on automated and IT-aided technology and energy-efficient systems for value addition. More than 5,000 delegates from India and abroad are expected to participate in the event.
Major topics during technical sessions, to be addressed by national and international experts, include ‘Leveraging FTAs for better market access’; ‘Global Shrimp Trade – Status and market prospects’; ‘Market Access issues – Status and way forward’; ‘Innovating to Improve Competitiveness of Shrimp Farming’; Modernisation of fishing harbours in India – Status and future plans’; ‘Next Generation Refrigeration in seafood cold chain’; ‘Black Tiger Shrimp – Signs of revival with special reference to India’; Value addition through indigenous seafood’; and IoT-based technology for aquaculture farm management.
Among the speakers are Mr Tapan Mazumder, Additional DGFT, Govt. of India; Dr M. Balaji, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry; Mr Willem Van der, Founder and Owner of Holland-based Shrimp Insights; Mr George Chamberlain, Founder, Global Seafood Alliance and Executive Director, The Centre for Responsible Seafood; Mr Elias Sait, Secretary General, SEAI; Dr M S Dasgupta, Professor, BITS Pilani; and Mr Ravikumar Yellanki, President, All India Shrimp Hatchery Association (AISHA).
During 2021-22, India exported 13,69,264 tons of marine products worth US$ 7.76 billion (Rs 575.86 billion), registering an all-time high export by value, while shrimp production crossed one million MT. Frozen shrimp remained the major export item in quantity and value, accounting for a share of 53 per cent in quantity and 75 per cent of the total revenue.
USA was the largest market, with a 43.45 per cent share in dollar terms, followed by China (15.14 per cent), Europe (14.98 per cent) and Southeast Asia (10.04 per cent).
