A prime minister-led initiative will develop a coordinated strategy to expand shrimp production, strengthen value addition and improve export competitiveness under a wider 24-month implementation and review process.
A government sub-committee has set a 120-day deadline to prepare a roadmap for expanding shrimp farming, improving value addition and increasing exports as Pakistan seeks to develop a competitive, export-oriented aquaculture industry.
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry chaired a meeting of the sub-committee on Aquaculture and Shrimp Value Chain, attended by provincial fisheries officials and representatives of relevant federal institutions.
The committee will prepare a comprehensive report using verified data and stakeholder recommendations. It 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 were approved to prepare 14 reports and export projections. The committee also adopted a common framework for collecting and validating data, prioritising challenges, proposing reforms and monitoring progress. An initial 14-day action plan was approved for participating institutions.
Officials from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan attended, alongside representatives of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and the ministries of National Food Security and Research and Maritime Affairs.
Chaudhry said the exercise would identify constraints and develop practical solutions to expand shrimp farming, strengthen value addition and boost exports through cooperation between federal and provincial governments.
Punjab Secretary for Aquaculture and Fisheries Rana Muhammad Saleem Afzal said expanding shrimp farming remained a provincial priority, but establishing an effective value chain was a major challenge. Work was also under way to establish hatcheries.
Sindh’s secretary for livestock and fisheries said a feasibility study was being prepared for a proposed 3,500-acre shrimp farm in the province. He also highlighted the need to address value-addition and traceability challenges.
Participants presented further proposals on shrimp processing and export competitiveness.
The next meeting will review progress on baseline data collection, identified bottlenecks, working-group activities, evidence gaps, risks and proposed interventions. The initiative forms part of a broader 24-month implementation and review process.