MPSO-2025 event highlights MPEDA’s commitment to fostering sustainable Scampi farming through stakeholder collaboration, technical support, and strategic vision in Odisha.
Bhubaneswar, Odisha | February 15, 2025 – The recent Matsya Pranee Samavesh Odisha (MPSO)-2025, held on February 14, 2025, cast a well-deserved spotlight on Scampi hatchery operators. This pivotal event, designed to foster collaboration across Odisha’s burgeoning aquaculture sector, became a crucial platform for addressing challenges and unlocking opportunities in Scampi farming.
Scampi (Macrobrachium rosenbergii), with its robust demand in both domestic and international markets, holds immense potential for sustainable aquaculture. Recognizing this, the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) actively engaged hatchery operators at MPSO-2025, offering institutional support and outlining a path for structured growth in this promising sector.
Direct Engagement: Scampi Hatchery Operators Connect with MPEDA Leadership
A cornerstone of MPSO-2025 was a direct and crucial interaction between major Scampi hatchery operators, farmers, and the Chairman of MPEDA. This dialogue provided a vital forum for stakeholders to articulate their ambitions for scaling up Scampi culture in Odisha. Key areas where operators sought MPEDA’s guidance included:
- Strategic Project Planning: Assistance in preparing detailed project proposals.
- Infrastructure Development: Support for establishing and upgrading hatchery facilities.
- Technical Expertise: Access to advanced know-how and best practices.
- Export Market Access: Guidance on tapping into lucrative global markets.
With Odisha boasting 2 lakh hectares of reservoirs, the geographic potential for becoming a major Scampi-producing hub is undeniable. This discussion reaffirmed MPEDA’s role as a catalyst in enabling sustainable aquaculture through focused stakeholder engagement.
Showcasing Innovation: The MPEDA Pavilion at MPSO-2025
A major draw at the 3-day event, which attracted over 2,000 stakeholders, primarily fishers and aquaculture entrepreneurs, was the impressive MPEDA pavilion. Inaugurated by Shri Gokulananda Mallik, Hon’ble Minister for Fisheries and Animal Resources Development & MSME, and Shri Krushna Chandra Patra, Hon’ble Minister for Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare, Government of Odisha, in the presence of the MPEDA Chairman, the pavilion spanned four German Hangers.
MPEDA showcased a compelling array of innovations and commercially important species, including:
- Diversified Aquaculture Species: Mudcrab, Seabass, GIFT Tilapia, Scampi, and Black Tiger shrimp.
- Value-Added Products: A range of ready-to-eat seafood products.
- Sustainable By-products: Brine shrimp biomass and Chitin/Chitosan.
- Conservation Efforts: Updates on Turtle Excluder Device (TED) trials conducted in Odisha.
These exhibits vividly demonstrated MPEDA’s holistic approach – championing sustainability, encouraging product diversification, and ensuring market readiness.
High-Level Strategy: Meeting with Chief Secretary and State Fisheries Department
Reinforcing its commitment to collaborative growth, the Chairman of MPEDA engaged in a strategic meeting with the Chief Secretary, Government of Odisha, and senior officials from the Department of State Fisheries. Key discussion points focused on:
- Strengthening Odisha’s seafood export ecosystem.
- Enhancing value addition through targeted workforce development.
- Addressing operational challenges, such as power tariffs for aquaculture units.
- Exploring solutions for air cargo limitations impacting fresh seafood exports.
This high-level engagement underscores MPEDA’s dedication to facilitating long-term, systemic solutions in partnership with state agencies.
MPEDA Chairman’s Vision: Propelling Odisha’s Seafood Sector Forward
Delivering the inaugural address at MPSO-2025, the Chairman of MPEDA outlined a clear and ambitious strategic vision for Odisha’s aquaculture sector. Key pillars of this vision include:
- Doubling Seafood Exports: A bold target to achieve seafood export revenues of ₹10,000 crore by 2030, driven by increased production, stringent quality control, and enhanced global market linkages.
- Championing Antibiotic-Free Shrimp Production: A strong emphasis on sustainable, antibiotic-free shrimp culture using innovative circular tank models, capable of producing 40–50 metric tons per hectare under controlled conditions.
- Bolstering Seed Supply: MPEDA is actively supporting the Department of Fisheries in establishing new hatcheries for:
- Penaeus monodon (Black Tiger Shrimp) and Seabass in Gopalpur.
- GIFT (Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia) at Bomalai.
These initiatives are crucial for strengthening the seed supply chain, directly benefiting Scampi farmers and promoting diversification.
A Collaborative Path to a Thriving Future
The pronounced focus on Scampi hatchery operators during MPSO-2025 signals a clear strategic direction: embracing species diversification, empowering stakeholders, and embedding sustainable practices at the core of aquaculture development. MPEDA’s multifaceted initiatives—through consultation, demonstration, and strategic planning—are geared towards unlocking the immense, untapped potential of Odisha’s vast water resources.
As Scampi farmers and hatchery operators continue to play an indispensable role in India’s aquaculture landscape, MPEDA stands firm in its commitment to supporting their journey towards enhanced growth, resilience, and global export-readiness.
