The Orissa chapter of the Seafood Exporters Association of India has urged the state government to take steps for introduction of containerisation facilities at the Paradip port.
Seafood exporters, in a memorandum to chief minister Naveen Patnaik, said that the non-availability of shipping facilities for refrigerated cargo at the Paradip port has emerged as a major bottleneck for exporters. Besides introducing containerisation facilities, exporters have urged the governemnt to develop infrastructures like road, electricity to landing centres, and aquaculture clusters. These steps, according to exporters, would help them earn more foreign exchange for the country.
The chapter president, Gorachand Mohanty, said shrimp farmers should be brought under crop insurance cover as they suffer huge losses due to natual calamities Orissa becomes a victim of almost regularly. Mohanty said the chapter has asked for exemption of the value-added tax on frozen fish products and abolition of the marketing tax on fish and fishery products for exporters.
Orissa’s seafood export business has touched Rs 430 crore. There are 19 processing plants in the state, and two more are coming up. Over 2.5 lakh people are employed in the sector.
Mohanty said with facilities and incentives in place, Orissa has the potential to earn forex worth Rs 1000 crore.