New Delhi, July 21: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the aquaculture sector, stating that it will boost India’s coastal economy, enhance farmers’ livelihoods, and create new export opportunities.
In a post on the social media platform ‘X’, Goyal shared that he had meaningful discussions with stakeholders from Andhra Pradesh‘s aquaculture and tobacco industries.
“We discussed opportunities to further empower the aquaculture sector to strengthen India’s coastal economy,” he said.
Goyal emphasized that the government is dedicated to enhancing farmers’ livelihoods by providing fair prices, better market access, and new opportunities for export growth.
He noted that these efforts would also accelerate economic progress in Andhra Pradesh. The aquaculture sector is one of the state’s major export-oriented areas and significantly contributes to India’s seafood exports.
The meeting included Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Bhupatiraju Srinivasa Varma, BJP leader D. Purandeswari, TDP parliamentary leader Lavu Srinivasa Devarayalu, and Andhra Pradesh ministers K. Atchannaidu, Gottipati Ravi Kumar, and Dola Bala Veeranjanaya Swami.
This meeting is considered significant as, on the same day, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu urged the central government to take several steps to protect the interests of the state’s aquaculture and tobacco farmers. He stressed the need to provide relief to farmers amid rising production costs and increasing competition in the global market.
The Chief Minister wrote separate letters to Goyal and other central ministers, requesting permission for the import of genetically modified (GM) soybean meal for shrimp feed units, regulating the export of fish meal to ensure domestic availability, incentivizing tobacco exports, reducing GST on key inputs related to aquaculture, and establishing a regional office of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) in Amaravati.
In his letter to Piyush Goyal, Chandrababu Naidu requested that the export of fish meal be regulated so that domestic demand is met first before allowing exports. He reiterated the demand for permission to import GM soybean meal, stating that it would alleviate shortages and help reduce feed costs for shrimp farmers.
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