Vizag all set to host seafood products expo

​Visakhapatnam: An international exhibition, e-Trade Fest, on sea products is to be organised in Visakhapatnam, which holds the top spot in the production of seafood products. Visakhapatnam, with 960 km of sea coast, has a special place in the exports of seafood products. Arrangements for the event are on at a fast pace in Vizag, which is a commercial centre with the sea trade running into crores.

• 60 nations to display products, besides enter into agreements on exports and imports
• Japan and others are showing interest in Indian sea products
• Fishermen want modernised harbour, cold-storage facilities & processing units

Of the annual revenue of Rs 30,000 crore from the export of seafood products, Vizag alone generates Rs 12,000 crore. Keeping these aspects in view the State government after the formation of Navyandhra Pradesh wants to develop fisheries-based industries at international level.

As a part of this endeavour, the three-day exhibition is being organised from September 23. Representatives of 60 countries will display their products, besides enter into agreements on exports and imports. Countries like Japan, among others, are showing interest in Indian sea products.

“The event will become the platform for increasing exports, with good scope for more clientele and deciding remunerative prices for the products,” Member of Parliament K Haribabu told The Hans India. The festival, besides bringing more revenue to the government, would benefit local fishermen, he said.

Although leaders have been saying that plans are on to increase the export of seafood products from Vizag port on the lines of those from Chennai, Kerala, Puducherry and Kochi coastal areas, so as to secure more revenue to the government, their promises have confined to only holding public meetings and papers.

Leaders of fishermen’s associations have been impressing upon local leaders to focus attention on their problems. The associations are highlighting the fact that there are no basic facilities to cater to the requirements of foreign companies. They point out that teams from Europe and Japan after going round the Vizag harbour had stated that the facilities are inadequate.

This has led to a ‘bad’ remark that local seafood products lack quality and resulted in a fall in exports. Satyanarayana and Gangaraju, leaders of the fisheries associations, told The Hans India that the government should organise more international-level conferences, besides modernizing local harbour and create cold-storage facilities and set up latest processing units.

They want local fishermen to be given importance in the e-Trade Fest. Besides, special efforts should be made to ensure hygiene in the harbour, they say, while stressing that holding of any such event will not yield the desired results and change the fate of fishermen.

The leaders call for effecting improvements in the Vizag harbour to pave the way for increased revenue to fishermen, while hoping that the government would ensure that the fest will yield good results.

By S Anuradha