A day after Defence Minister targeted the US administration following President Donald Trump’s unilateral action against India in the middle of negotiations for a trade deal, Union Fisheries Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lalan said Monday that “we will have to face current challenges”.
Addressing a press conference after a meeting with seafood exporters and other stakeholders, Lalan said that the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Russia and other markets present opportunities for Indian seafood exporters. Singh said the recently signed India’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the UK also has provisions for the fisheries sector.
“Aaj ki taarikh me jo bhi chunauti aayi hai uska mukabala karna hai. (Whatever challenges have come today, we have to face them),” Lalan said amid concerns over US President Trump’s announcement of 25 per cent additional tariffs over and above the 25 per cent announced earlier.
On Sunday, without taking names, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that “there are some people” who think they are “sabke boss” and, because “they do not like the rapid development of India”, are trying to make Indian goods expensive.
Singh was the first senior minister of the Modi government to target the Trump administration following the US President’s unilateral action against India in the middle of negotiations for a trade deal. “There are some people who do not like the rapid development of India. They don’t like it: We are the boss of everyone, how is India growing so rapidly?” he said.
Responding to a query, the Union fisheries minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made clear that the farmers’ interests will not be compromised. During the meeting, exporters, too, said they stand with PM Modi’s remarks, Singh said.
Seafood exporters gave their suggestions regarding the continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana in the next cycle of the Finance Commission.
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Ministers of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, S P Singh Baghel and George Kurian, senior officials of the ministry, and other stakeholders attended the meeting. About 50 seafood exporters, representatives of four major seafood exporting states, and officials from the Union Ministry of Commerce also participated in the meeting.
The US is the major destination of India’s seafood products. India’s seafood exports in 2024-25 reached $7.38 billion, amounting to 1.78 million metric tonnes. Shrimp formed the most significant component, accounting for 92 per cent of India’s seafood exports, and the US market alone accounted for over 40 per cent of India’s total shrimp exports.
Meanwhile, as The Indian Express reported, shrimp farmers in Andhra Pradesh “will be forced to close down or cultivate other species that do not yield such high profits” if the US decides to go ahead with the additional 25 per cent tariffs. There are around 6.5 lakh aquafarmers in Andhra Pradesh, and of the 241 aquaculture exporters in the country, 171 are based in the state.
“Medium and big farmers produce larger shrimp, known as 30-count or 40-count, referring to the number of shrimps per kilogramme. About 90% of the large shrimp are exported to the US and sell for Rs 350-400 per kg. Due to the heavy tariffs, exporters will avoid purchasing these,” said S Lal Mohammad, Joint Director (aquaculture), Fisheries Department, Andhra Pradesh.
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Mohammad said farmers would likely move towards growing smaller shrimp, such as the 100-count variety that sells for around Rs 220-230 per kg, which are generally not sent to the US.
D Dileep, Secretary (Andhra Pradesh region), Seafood Exporters Association of India, said the sector will come to a standstill if the tariff issue is not resolved immediately. “We are talking of closure of operations of not only aqua ponds and farms, but also of hatcheries, shrimp processing units, packaging units, cold storages, and ice factories,” he said.
While Andhra Pradesh produces 60 per cent of India’s shrimp export, the other major supplier, Odisha, is also bracing for the changes.
