Commerce and Industry Secretary N. Yuvaraj on Saturday asked Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) to focus on churning out experts in making value-added seafood products in the State.
Mr. Yuvaraj was attending the valedictory event of a hands-on training programme near Pamarru for employees of marine food export units on preparing value-added seafood products.
He also took a tour of stalls displaying the value-added seafood products prepared by the participants, at Sandhya Aqua processing plant, which had hosted the event.
MPEDA joint-director A. Jeyabal said training was imparted to 30 employees on preparing ready-to-serve food items with shrimp, squid, cuttle fish and other marine products.
Sandhya Aqua processing plant director Edera Harish said marinated shrimp, breaded popcorn shrimp, breaded squid rings, fish fillet, squid burger, shrimp burger, butterfly sushi shrimp and other dishes made by the participants were displayed.
“We are prioritising the export of value-added seafood products and more persons will be trained soon,” Mr. Harish said and thanked Tran Quoc Son and Chu Thi Tuet Mai from Vietnam, who trained the participants.
The exporters, Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) and other associations should focus on value-added seafood, which have demand internationally, the secretary said.
Later, Mr. Yuvaraj, along with CIFT senior scientist Viji. P; MPEDA deputy directors K. Sivarajan and Manoj Kumar T.G.; and SEAI regional vice-president Ch. Sudheer interacted with the trainers and distributed certificates to the participants.
