Though Mangaluru was the fourth largest port in terms of quantity of marine exports during 2014-15, in terms of value of products, the coastal city stood at the fifth place, while Vishakhapatnam that exported almost same quantity of marine products stood first in terms of value of products.
During the year, as many as 1, 15,470 tonnes of marine products, worth Rs. 1,363.38 crore, were exported through Mangaluru. The export value in terms of US dollars had been $ 223.20 million. In terms of total quantity, Mangaluru’s share was 10.98 per cent; 4.08 per cent in terms of rupee value and 4.05 per cent in terms of USD value, among 30 other sea/air/land ports in the country.
Visakhapatnam too had exported 1,15,672 tonnes of marine products (11 per cent); but its value had been Rs. 7,578.27 crore (22.66 per cent) or $ 1,251.83 million (22.71 per cent). Neighbouring Kochi exported 1, 62,818 tonnes of marine products worth Rs. 4,989.86 crore (14.92 per cent) or $ 822.23 million (14.92 per cent). Pipavav port in Gujarat, though had exported the largest quantity of marine products of 2,43,640 tonnes, stood fourth in terms of rupee value — Rs. 3,588.35 crore (10.73 per cent) or $ 588.47 million in terms of USD value (10.68 per cent), according to recent statistics released by Marine Product Export Development Authority (MPEDA), a Government of India undertaking.
While Vishakapatanam or Kochi exported high-value shrimp, the products exported from Mangaluru mainly comprised fish, said S.K. Patra, Assistant Director, MPEDA, Mangaluru.
He told The Hindu that shrimp farming is not taken up large scale in Karnataka coasts, except for some pockets in northern parts of Udupi district and Uttara Kannada district. However, majority of shrimp produced in those regions are sold in neighbouring Goa, he added.
At the national level, the contribution of cultured shrimp to the total shrimp export was 76.45 per cent in terms of USD. The export of cultured shrimp had shown positive growth of 21.66 per cent in quantity and 15.53 per cent in terms of USD, MPEDA said in its release.
Frozen shrimp continues to be a major component in the export basket of India in terms of quantity as well as value. It accounted for 34.01 per cent in terms quantity and 67.19 per cent in total US dollars earnings.
Shrimp export in 2014-15 increased by 18.06 per cent, 16 per cent and 15.54 per cent in terms of quantity, rupee value and USD value respectively. The overall export of shrimp during the year was 3, 57,505 tonnes, worth $ 3,709.76 million. USA had been the largest market (1,12,702 tonnes) followed by European Union (81,952 tonnes), South East Asia (69,068 tonnes) and Japan (30,434 tonnes).
