Exports ofmarine products from Gujarattook a beating in fiscal 2020-21 due to the disruption in export markets, especially China.
The states marine exports declined by 17% to Rs 4,137 crore in 2020-21 from Rs 4,985 crore in the previous financial year, shows data from theSeafoodExporters Association of India (SEAI).
Exports in volume terms dipped by about 20% to 2 lakh tonnes in 2020-21 compared to 2.51 lakh tonnes. Seafood exports from Gujarat have declined due to Covid-19 induced disruptions in export markets, especially China, loss of fishing days on account of the pandemic as well as depleting catches, said Jagdish Fofandi, national president, Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI).
The decline in exports to China pulled down overall exports from the state, which is among the top seafood exporters in India.
Seafood exports to China plummeted by 41% to Rs 1,287 crore in 2020-21 from Rs 2,197 crore in 2019-20. Exports in volumes dropped to71,637 tonnes from 1.26 lakh tonnes during the same period. Exports to Southeast Asia and the Middle East also declined. However, the reductions were not as steep as China.