The Hindu : MPEDA testing centre for Nellore

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 16, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

MPEDA testing centre for Nellore

By Our Special Correspondent

VISAKHAPATNAM FEB. 15. Eleven modern centres with facilities for testing antibiotic residues, including four in AP, will be set up by the Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) in association with the State Government, the Centre and the Seafood Exports Association of India.

Disclosing this to reporters here on Saturday, the MPEDA member, K. Haribabu, said that in AP, the centres, each set up at a cost of Rs.4 crores, were coming up in Visakhapatnam, Bhimavaram, Kakinada and Nellore. There was a complaint that antibiotic residue was found in the marine exports from India and there were apprehensions of their being rejected by foreign countries. The testing facility would help ensure that the products exported were free of antibiotic residues.

``Also, it was decided to create awareness among the fisheries farmers on this aspect,'' he said.

Another area where awareness camps were being held was scampi shrimp farming which could be done in fresh water. At present, this was widely cultivated only in coastal Andhra, particularly in Nellore and West Godavari districts and efforts should be made to extend it into interior areas, Dr. Haribabu opined.

On the exports of marine products, he said that though the MPEDA statistics showed a ten per cent increase between April and October, the exports might end up a little less than last year's Rs.6,200 crores. The target this year was $1.2 billions and going close to it could itself be described as a great achievement.

The AP Seafood Exporters Association president and MPEDA member, T. Raghunatha Reddy, said that landing facilities were being improved at the fishing harbours in Visakhapatnam and Kakinada. Renovation of the auction hall in the Visakhapatnam fishing harbour was being done and no fish would be allowed to land on the floor but only on the platform, he said. The cost of renovation and landing facilities at the fishing harbour was Rs.1.3 crores, he revealed.

Similarly, for maintaining quality of the fish, the fishing boats were being provided insulated boxes, with the 50 per cent subsidy provided by the MPEDA, he said.

The APSEA vice-president, Ch. Kishore Kumar, was present at the press conference.

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