Amidst Covid-19, AP exports 1,530 MT of aqua products

Despite the overall lull in all economic sectors due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Andhra Pradesh government is sparing no effort to keep its fisheries and aqua products sector alive. By Friday, the state has exported 1,530 Metric Tons (MT) of aqua products besides opening up 56 aqua processing units to facilitate exports.

The aqua products are being exported thorough Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, and Krishnapatnam ports with 270 MT shipped on Friday alone.

According to the media on Friday, state Fisheries and Livestock Development Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana reiterated that the state government is committed to the safety and financial interests of the aqua farming sector. He requested farmers to not believe the fake information being spread on the export of aqua products.

"I request the shrimp farmers not to go for distress sale. Any decision or announcement related to the department will be given only by the officials concerned," he said.

The Minister said that district-level processing units are now functioning at Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Prakasam, and Nellore districts, and nodal officers are appointed to monitor the situation.

They are directly interacting with farmers, people and collecting data of workers to ensure that the processing work should not be halted, he added.

The Minister assured shrimp farmers that no one would incur losses and that the government would fix the price and purchase the shrimp for export.

"803 MT of shrimps have been purchased at the price fixed by the government and the system would be streamlined in another two days,"he added.

The Covid-19 crisis had put the aqua sector in the state on tenterhooks, but the government has assured that it would take all measures to protect it.
-IANS