Marine Products Export Development Authority to probe into rejection of seafood exports

Nellore: The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has taken up the task of identifying reasons as to why the European Union (EU) member countries are rejecting Indian seafood exports including Andhra Pradesh. In the recent past, there are 9 instances of rejecting marine exports from the state.

However, the rate of rejection by the EU has come down drastically in the last five years. As part of improving quality in the seafood, task force teams across the state have been focusing on all coastal districts for alerting the aqua farmers not to use antibiotics and other pests.

Highlights:

• AP had recently witnessed 9 rejections from Nellore and Bhimavaram areas
• Task force teams have been formed for collecting samples and also to make aware farmers on trading difficulties due to use of antibiotics and other pests

Officials said nine export consignments from AP were rejected. Hence, they were conducting awareness sessions to farmers on repercussions of rejections by the USA and other countries. The Authority is implementing National Residue Control Plan (NRCP) which is a statutory requirement for exporting seafood to the EU countries. They normally collect samples every year about the presence of residues of substances like antibiotics, veterinary medicines and other environmental related contaminations.

They collect samples from aquaculture farms, processing plants, hatcheries and feed-mills for possible presence of any residues or contaminants like stilbenes, steroids, chloramphenicol, nitrofurans, nitroimidazoles, antibiotics such as tetracycline, sulphadiazine, quinolones or fluroquinolones, pesticides, chemical elements like mycotoxins, and dyes that would cause for rejection by the procuring nations. The MPEDA was happy as the number of rejections have decreased in the last five years.

But, only Andhra Pradesh region which makes an astounding business of Rs 6,000 crore every year that fetches around Rs 600 crore revenue would face doldrums with the greedy attitude of farmers. Officials of the MPEDA have responded immediately to set right the situation in the state.

From Nellore, exports from the district was around Rs 3,400 crore during 2017-18 in which Rs 3,000 crore were related to prawns. As the products from the district were also rejected due to presence of antibiotics there has been focus on the trade keeping in view of huge revenue potential from the sector.

“The state had recently witnessed 9 rejections by foreign traders from the EU countries and 3 amongst were from Bhimavaram sub-region.

It indicates acquisitive nature of farmers, who were getting comfortable returns and the rejections would impact the trade from the region. So, our task force teams are collecting samples for any violations and educating the farming community on the consequences of refusals,” said senior officials of MPEDA from Visakhapatnam and
Vijayawada offices.

Basically, farmers in the state have been exporting aqua products to USA, EU countries, Middle East, Japan and others. Once approval from the EU is rejected, farmers have to face hardships to regain it, according to officials. “We proposed action against the errant traders and hatcheries for the situation. So, task force personnel have been on the job of conducting visits in the coastal districts,” a senior official added.