Pakistan Eyes Bigger Shrimp Exports Through New Farming Strategy

The government has set a 120-day deadline to develop a roadmap for expanding shrimp farming, improving value addition and increasing exports. The plan will follow a broader 24-month implementation and review process. A sub-committee formed by the prime minister has approved seven technical working groups and a projection and costing cell. These teams will prepare 14 reports and export projections. They will also follow a common framework to collect and verify data, identify key challenges, propose reforms and monitor progress. Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry chaired a meeting of the sub-committee on Aquaculture and Shrimp Value Chain. Provincial fisheries officials and representatives of relevant federal institutions also attended the meeting. Participants included representatives from the fisheries departments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Officials from the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and the ministries of National Food Security and Research and Maritime Affairs also attended, according to a press release. The meeting focused on developing a coordinated strategy to make aquaculture a competitive, export-oriented industry. To achieve this goal, the committee will prepare a comprehensive report using verified data and recommendations from stakeholders. The report will establish a baseline for the sector, identify gaps across the value chain and recommend measures to improve production, processing and export competitiveness. Meanwhile, the committee approved an initial 14-day action plan. It directed all participating institutions to complete their assigned tasks within the given deadlines. Junaid Chaudhry said the exercise would identify major constraints and develop practical solutions to expand shrimp farming, improve value addition and increase exports. He added that the federal government would coordinate with provincial governments and other stakeholders to combine expertise and unlock Pakistan's potential in shrimp farming. Punjab Secretary for Aquaculture and Fisheries Rana Muhammad Saleem Afzal said Punjab was working to expand shrimp farming. However, he identified the development of an effective value chain as a major challenge. He also said the province was working to establish hatcheries. Meanwhile, Sindh's secretary for livestock and fisheries said the province was preparing a feasibility study for a 3,500-acre shrimp farm. He also highlighted the need to address challenges related to value addition and traceability. Other participants shared proposals to improve shrimp processing, strengthen value addition and increase export competitiveness. The minister said the next meeting would review progress on nominations and baseline data collection. It would also assess the consolidated baseline for farmed shrimp, identified bottlenecks, working-group activities and gaps in available evidence. In addition, the committee would examine an initial assessment of risks and proposed interventions.