The federal government has set a 120-day deadline to develop a roadmap for expanding shrimp farming, improving seafood processing and increasing exports, as it seeks to turn aquaculture into a competitive export industry.
The deadline was announced by a prime ministerial subcommittee on aquaculture and the shrimp value chain, chaired by Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Tuesday. The initiative forms part of a broader 24-month implementation and review process involving federal and provincial institutions.
Coordinated Strategy in the Works
The subcommittee will prepare a comprehensive report based on verified data and recommendations from industry stakeholders. According to an official statement, the report will establish a baseline for the sector, identify bottlenecks across the value chain and propose measures to improve production, processing and export competitiveness.
Seven technical working groups and a projection and costing cell have been approved to prepare 14 reports and export projections. The committee also adopted a common framework for collecting and validating data, prioritizing challenges, developing reforms and monitoring progress.
An initial 14-day action plan was approved, with participating institutions directed to complete their assigned tasks within the prescribed deadlines.
Provinces Flag Opportunities and Challenges
The meeting drew representatives from the fisheries departments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, alongside officials from the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and the federal ministries of food security and maritime affairs.
Chaudhry said the exercise would identify constraints and develop practical solutions to expand shrimp farming, strengthen value addition and increase exports. He added that the federal government would work with provincial administrations and other stakeholders to pool expertise and develop a coordinated strategy.
Sindh’s secretary for livestock and fisheries said a feasibility study was underway for a 3,500-acre shrimp farm in the province, while flagging the need to address challenges related to value addition and traceability.
Punjab is also exploring opportunities to introduce shrimp farming. Provincial Aquaculture and Fisheries Secretary Rana Saleem Afzal said departments were working to establish the industry, particularly in areas where high groundwater salinity had made conventional cultivation difficult. Efforts were underway to establish hatcheries in such areas, he said, while acknowledging that developing an effective value chain remained a major challenge.
Higher Export Earnings in Sight
Participants proposed measures to improve shrimp processing and value addition for both export markets and domestic consumption, where shrimp and prawns remain in high demand in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The next meeting will review identified bottlenecks and the baseline data needed to promote shrimp farming.
In April, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said progress had been made on infrastructure for shrimp farming projects in Sargodha Estate, Aliwala and Shahgarh. Punjab has also launched the Blue Economy Programme to develop unused land and introduce modern scientific shrimp farming systems.
The initiative comes after Pakistan’s fish and fish preparations exports reached a record $568 million in fiscal year 2026, according to the federal government. Seafood exports are primarily shipped to China, Thailand, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Indonesia and the United States.
