KS Srinivas, Chairman, Marine Product Export Development Authority (MPEDA), has emphasised the need to focus on value added fish exports, to double producers’ income.

He said that India has taken a new approach to the presently laid fish exporting system by establishing its position as the lion’s shareholder in fresh fish export to overseas markets.

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Srinivas was speaking at the online inaugural function of the four-day-long international virtual training programme on ‘Value Chain Management in Fisheries’ organised by ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT) in collaboration with the New Delhi-based African-Asian Rural Development Organisation (AARDO).

The MPEDA chairman also expressed concern over many issues in fish exports, such as lack of access to suitable technologies, modern machineries, skilled manpower, improved market infrastructure and high-end technology development. He appreciated the role of CIFT in this regard, especially with the development of cutting-edge technologies and capacity building measures to promote value addition in fisheries.

Online training programme

The online international training, which is being attended by 74 participants from 23 AARDO member countries, comprising 34 from 9 Asian countries and 40 from 14 African countries, is the second of the series of training that CIFT is entrusted with for the present year.

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CIFT Director Ravishankar CN stressed the importance of fisheries sector in ensuring nutritional security and also the need to reduce post-harvest loss in the fisheries sector by developing better cold chain facilities.

AARDO Secretary General, Manoj Nardeo Singh, pointed out that many developing countries have failed to maximise the value of fish owing to constraints such as large-scale post-harvest loss and challenges in production, distribution and marketing, This has created an alarming situation in aquaculture value chain, he said adding that the programme may give an impetus to the effort to bring a balance in value chain management system.

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