Call for better processing, packing.

KOCHI: The Indian seafood export industry is poised to achieve $5 billion by 2012 with 75 percent contribution from value-added products. What the industry needs is an advanced processing and packing technology which is sought by the Indian processors, says Roy Palmer, president, Asia Pacific chapter of the World Aquaculture Society.

Palmer told 'Express' during a visit to the city the other day that there is a huge potential market for aquaculture, husbandry and hatchery. "We will be bringing along experts from various countries to interact with the scientists and industry experts so that they would be able to chalk out solutions."

Even though several major feed plants have been established recently with overseas assistance, the demand for feed, particularly the extruded feed, is on the rise.

"More than 500 Indian farmers will get a firsthand experience of the problems and solutions from experts at the World Aquaculture Society. Our mandate at the Asia Pacific chapter is to promote the benefits of responsible aquaculture in AsiaPacific region through the dissemination of information to farmers, scientists, policymakers and suppliers of goods and services to the aquaculture industry," he said.

About the various certification problems faced by the export industry, Palmer said that much of these would be sorted out if they are properly disseminated to the stakeholders. "The fact remains that, in the US, 90 percent of the seafood is based on processed seafood. There is a lot of research and development in the fisheries sector in Asia after the initial panic reactions to promoting standards to meet the Western import health and quality regulations have died down.

The global recession has brought down the panic reaction in the less wealthy countries and started concentrating on wild and farmed products. The seacage culture has become an inthing in several Asian countries, though India is yet to get into it in a commercial way.

So, does he believe that climate change is also making an impact on fisheries? "Yes, there are issues, but one does not know whether it is related to climate change especially in the case of deep oceans because species change have been registered in certain areas," Palmer says

Source : expressbuzz.com