In a bid to improve exports of marine products, the state-run Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has signed an MoU with the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). Under this arrangement, MPEDA-related entities and NCDC will jointly formulate programs to boost infrastructure created for primary production and post-harvest management of marine products for exports.
MPEDA and its societies will share a list of all clusters in various states with NCDC, which may help them achieve scale and aggregation. It would also facilitate exports by the cooperatives assisted or identified by NCDC. The MoU comes at a time when marine exports have come under pressure in the aftermath of the Covid-19 outbreak. Marine exports dropped almost 17 per cent on year between April and December to $4.5 billion, at a slightly faster pace than the fall in overall merchandise exports in the wake of the pandemic, showed the commerce ministry data.
MPEDA chairman KS Srinivas said: “We have identified ample scope for working jointly in the interest of the export promotion of marine products for bringing better value to the stakeholders through a variety of activities, including export focus, in line with the policies of the government.”