Bhubaneswar: The Marine Products Export Authority (MPPA) has opened a new quality control lab at the Export Building in Nayapalli. High-quality components can be used to detect banned antibiotics. It was inaugurated by KK Srinivasan, Chairman, MPEDA. “Odisha exported 21,311 tonnes of marine products worth Rs 400 crore in 2011-12,” he said. By 2019-20, it has increased to Rs 3,283 crore. This year, Odisha has exported 4,758 tonnes of seafood. Odisha contributes 6.2 percent to the country’s shrimp production. In 2012-13, the state’s shrimp production was 100 tons. “By 2019-20, it has increased to 4,006 tonnes,” he said.
Thirty-six percent of Odisha’s seafood is exported to China, while 39 percent of the seafood is exported to the United States. Seafood from Odisha is also being exported to Japan and Southeast Asian countries. The lab is based on the criteria set by the Importing and Export Inspection Council (EIC) of marine products. It will also provide pre-Harvest test certificates to fishermen. The inaugural function through video conferencing was attended by Fisheries Department Secretary Raghu Prasad, MIPEDA Director Dr M. Karthikeyan, T Dolashankar, Member Aditya Das, Indian Seafood Exporters Association Steering Committee Member Tara Ranjan Pattanayak. .
