Australia Eyes Andhra's Aquaculture, Dairy Sectors

The consul general said Australia specializes in sustainable fisheries management and could work wit…

The consul general said Australia specializes in sustainable fisheries management and could work with Andhra Pradesh. Mr Kelly said Australia will ensure that fisheries sector is managed well without exploitation of marine life.

Mr Naidu will attend the seafood convention in Perth this October after an invitation from the Chief Minister and he said that a state delegation will visit Australia before October to study the country's aquaculture industry.

Andhra Pradesh is on the road to becoming the aquaculture capital of the world and the marine processing hub of India, said Mr Naidu.

He added that Australia could also explore opportunities in policy-making for marine industry, research, equipment and machinery. Similarly, Australia's strong presence in logistics could help the region become a hub for south east Asia.

The consul general said Australia could collaborate in Intellectual Property (IP) and medical research as Andhra Pradesh is strong in the pharmaceutical sector.

The per capita milk availability in Andhra Pradesh stands at 343 gm. It has emerged second in terms of milk production, with 11.25 million tonnes per annum. The per capita consumption in 1970 was 105 grams.

The dairy sector is targeting production of 15 million tonnes by 2020. There are plans to set up nearly 900 mini dairies with the emphasis being on the development of a supply chain.

To fund the public-private partnership projects being taken up in the state in agriculture sector, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has extended $188 million (Rs 1200 crore) to Andhra Pradesh, while half of these funds were so far been utilised by the state. An additional $99 million (Rs 600-crore) would be given to the state.