Kochi: The Centre is threatening and chasing seafood exporters out of Kerala. The business owners are being coerced to relocate to Andhra Pradesh or Gujarat. Government arms like Export Inspection Agency)EIA), Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) are being utilised to bring down pressure. The tactic being deployed is making export procedures a complicated process to steer through - the goal being to choke revenue for Kerala in yet another way.
There are several fish processing units in Kerala including that of peeling sheds. The majority are located in districts of Ernakulam and Alappuzha. More than 50,000 are employed in these units.
Apart from catches made from Kerala coasts, farmed fishes from Andhra too are processed and shipped at these units. Of late however, owing to hike in prices of petroleum products, the freight costs have shot up, resulting in decline in fish consignments from Andhra. This in turn has sprout several peeling sheds, plants, cold storages etc in that state.
MPEDA is the subsidy and other benefits provider to these units. According to business owners, units in outside states are receiving preferential treatment, plunging units located here into crisis.
The export-oriented industries located inside of Mega Foodpark, Pallipuram - established in collaboration with KSIDC - too are hard hit due to the step-motherly treatment of the Centre.
