GS PAPER III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Context: To bolster confidence in India’s frozen shrimp produce, the country’s biggest seafood export item, Centre has kicked off a new scheme to certify hatcheries and farms that adopt good aquaculture practices.

Aim: Commerce Ministry wants to build confidence in quality, antibiotic-free shrimp products from India for the global market. Certified aquaculture products will help exporters to export their consignments to markets under stringent food safety regulations without the fear of getting rejected.

Need:

• Frozen shrimp is India’s largest exported seafood item.
• Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu are India’s major shrimp producing States, and around 95% of the cultured shrimp produce is exported.
• India exported frozen shrimp worth almost $5 billion in 2019-20, with the S. and China its the biggest buyers.
• But a combination of factors hurt export volumes includes container shortages and incidents of seafood consignments being rejected because of food safety concerns.

Shaphari

• The Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) has developed a certification scheme for aquaculture products called ‘Shaphari’, a Sanksrit word that means superior quality of fishery products suitable for human consumption.
• National Residue Control Programme for food safety issues in farm produce and pre-harvest testing system is already in place.
• But this certification will be a market-based tool for hatcheries to adopt good aquaculture practices and help produce quality antibiotic-free shrimp products to assure global consumers.
• The Shaphari scheme is based on the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization’s technical guidelines on aquaculture certification and will have two components —
  • certifying hatcheries for the quality of their seeds and,
  • separately, approving shrimp farms that adopt the requisite good practices.
• The certification of hatcheries will help farmers easily identify good quality seed producers.
• Those who successfully clear multiple audits of their operations shall be granted a certificate for a period of two years.
• The entire certification process will be online to minimise human errors and ensure higher credibility and transparency.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/certification-scheme-to-encourage-good-aquaculture-practices/article34295794.ece?homepage=true

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