'India plans outsourcing to exploit Marine Products'

Port Blair, Oct 27: India is planning to outsource to exploit Marine Product Industry and transform itself as a major hub for reprocessing unit, Union Minister of Commerce of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said in Port Blair.

The Minister told reporters in Port Blair that the Marine Product Export Development Authority (MPEDA) in its road map has also strongly stressed on this matter.

"All out efforts will be made to make India a leading processing hub in the world. To achieve this the MPEDA will try to establish a single window clearance system for imported materials used for re-export," said Ramesh.

He said that opportunities for engaging foreign direct investment in this exercise will be utilized to the full. Efforts also will be made to facilitate the take over of sick units by the stronger units.

"There are also opportunities to set up special economics zones (SEZ) to promote the import and reprocessing of seafood for export," he added.

The Minister of State is presently on an official visit to tsunami hit Andaman and Nicobar islands.

The international markets for seafood have undergone several changes. Consumer preferences and tastes are strongly in favour of convenience foods, which can be ready for cooking and ready for eating. Eating in restaurants has become immensely popular and convenient seafood, which was being sold in retail shops are now increasingly purchased from the supermarket.

"In keeping with the current trend the country will have to prepare itself for marketing fisheries products in supermarkets both within the country and abroad and food service chains abroad," the minister said.

Ramesh told reports that MPEDA's roadmap has five major points to change the present scenario of fisheries export industry. The first is diversifying the export basket, which is presently dominated by Frozen Shrimp export.

The second point is to promote brackish fisheries in Gujarat, Maharastra and Orissa. Third is to achieve the target of having 75 percent of export, value added by 2012. Fourth target is to outsourcing for exploring Marine Product Industry while the final aim to establish Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a bio-secure zone.

UNI