The Arab Republic of Egypt and Andhra Pradesh (Indian region) want to join forces on many topics. One in particular: aquaculture. India does not stop growing and Egypt is at a stage of taking off in the Middle East and African region. As a result of their similarities, Andhara has been considering promoting aquaculture in Egypt.
Abdul Rahman Ilyas of India, who has been appointed as an advisor to the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT) of the Arab Republic of Egypt, stated that they would like to develop a specific collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh government, among others, in aquaculture.
Aquaculture is currently the largest source of fish supply in Egypt. It counts for almost 65% of the country's total fish production, with more than 99% coming from private fish farms, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
However, the production of fish and crustaceans in marine or brackish waters is still at an incipient stage. Their main development problems are technical and economic issues. Particularly the area where India wants to join and improve the business.
In statements to TNIE, Ilyas pointed out that Egypt has created the world's largest aquaculture farms. About 8,000 hectares and plans to introduce vannemi shrimp farming in Biofloc. "In Egypt, they are facing some difficulties. There is an opportunity for AP exporters to develop a Business to Business (B2B) collaboration", he said.
Dr. Amr Faroukh Abdelkhaik, Vice President of ASRT, declared that they have been working with Dr. Abdul Rahman Ilyas in the pursuit of partners, companies, and value models that fits in the Egyptian context.
The expansion and development of modern aquaculture started in Egypt two decades ago. Whereupon the sector has undergone significant and rapid growth, resulting in a sharp increase in production mainly in the Nile Delta Region.
Aquaculture is currently experiencing the highest growth of all fishery-related activities in the country. Thus, it is the single viable option to reduce the gap between fish production and consumption in Egypt.
High rates of return on aquaculture investments have attracted many small and mid-level investors. An investors profile who tend to have a more scientific background than traditional aquaculture farmers.
This sector is becoming more sophisticated and diverse. This is also associated with a rapid expansion of support activities, such as local feed factories and hatcheries. However, the production of fish and crustaceans in marine or brackish waters is still at an incipient stage, and its development is still influenced by technical and economic problems.
Furthermore, as explained the General Authority for Fish Resources Development (GAFRD), it helps the upgrade of the country. New industries and financial services in support of aquaculture are also providing employment opportunities. The expansion of aquaculture has reduced and stabilized the cost of fish in Egypt. As a result, there are more accessibility to the poorer rural population to healthy and affordable animal protein.
India is the second-largest aquaculture country in the world and the third-largest fish producer after China, according to UN Fishery report. Especially the "Indian Blue Revolution" has brought a significant upgrading of the fishing and aquaculture businesses.
On primary level, the sector supports the livelihoods of 16 million fishermen, fish farmers, and thousands of people along the supply chain. Although, aquaculture businesses are considered emerging sectors and are expected to have a major impact on the Indian economy.
For that reason, the government has implemented several supportive measures to increase the potential of these sectors. It is developing fishing infrastructure, landing areas, river ranching, and fish seeding on major rivers, including the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, and others. In the Himalayan and North Eastern states, cold water fisheries, trout brooding facilities, and hatcheries are being developed.
The government project aims to increase fish production from 140 lakh tons to 220 lakh tons by FY 2025, according to the Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF). To achieve this goal it has implemented several initiatives to support the growth of aquaculture. Subsiding pond and tank construction, establishing hatcheries, and organizing training programs for farmers are some of them.
Concretely, the Andhra Pradesh region is focusing more on the aquaculture industry which is a rapidly growing sector in the country. Thus, aquaculture provides significant economic benefits for the state. Andhra plays a vital role in the country's seafood exports, ranking first in the production of fish and shrimp besides eggs. It stood on top in marine exports in the fiscal year 2021-2022.
Nowadays, the state is gearing up for the Global Investors' Summit on March 28 and 29 March in Vizag. The government has been showcasing its advantages in the farming sector.