Andhra Pradesh, Sep 15 (KNN) The shrimp industry in Andhra Pradesh has suffered a severe setback after recent US tariffs on Indian imports, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs 25,000 crore.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said that nearly 50% of export orders have been cancelled due to the high tariff burden imposed by the United States, reported business standard.
Andhra Pradesh contributes nearly 80% of India’s shrimp exports and 34% of its total marine exports, with annual exports valued at around Rs 21,246 crore.
The sector supports about 2.5 lakh families directly and impacts the livelihoods of around 30 lakh people across the state.
The steep fall in orders has raised concerns about large-scale job and income losses in coastal districts.
To ease the crisis, the state government has introduced a few relief steps. Shrimp feed manufacturers have been persuaded to cut prices by Rs 9 per kg, and plans are being made to provide subsidised power transformers to the aquaculture sector.
These measures aim to reduce production costs and help farmers sustain their businesses during this downturn.
Naidu has also written to the central government, appealing to the Ministries of Finance, Commerce, and Fisheries to intervene.
He has sought financial support including a one-time top-up loan of Rs 1 lakh under the Kisan Credit Cardscheme, creation of a Rs 100 crore corpus fund, and setting up cold-storage units and hygienic seafood markets.
He also urged the need for campaigns to boost domestic seafood consumption, along with improvements in packaging, processing, and cold chain infrastructure.
Additionally, he called for regional centres of research bodies like ICAR’s CIBA and NBFGR to be established in Andhra Pradesh.
Currently, Indian shrimp face a combined tariff burden of around 59.72% in the US. This includes a 25% reciprocal tariff, 25% duty related to restrictions on Russian oil, a 5.76% countervailing duty, and a 3.96% anti-dumping duty.
India exported about 7.16 lakh tonnes of frozen shrimp last fiscal, worth US$4.88 billion, with the US alone importing over 2.97 lakh tonnes — most of which (87%) were of the Vannamei shrimp species.
(KNN Bureau)
