Pakistan’s shrimp farming plan set to make a big catch

October 27, 2026 (MLN): The government has set a 120-day deadline for preparing a roadmap to expand shrimp farming, improve value addition and boost exports, under a broader 24-month implementation and review process.

A sub-committee constituted by the prime minister approved seven technical working groups and a projection and costing cell to prepare 14 reports and export projections, and adopted a common framework for data collection and validation, prioritising challenges, developing reform proposals and monitoring progress.

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 relevant federal institutions.

Representatives of the fisheries departments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan took part, along with the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and the ministries of National Food Security and Research and Maritime Affairs, said a press release issued.

The meeting aimed to develop a coordinated strategy for turning aquaculture into a competitive, export-oriented industry.

The committee will prepare a comprehensive report based on verified data and stakeholder recommendations, establishing a baseline for the sector, identifying bottlenecks across the value chain and proposing measures to improve production, processing and export competitiveness.

An initial 14-day action plan was also approved, with participating institutions directed to complete their assigned tasks within the stipulated deadlines.

Junaid 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 governments and other stakeholders to pool expertise and develop a coordinated approach to tap the country’s potential in shrimp farming.

Punjab Secretary for Aquaculture and Fisheries Rana Muhammad Saleem Afzal said the province was working to expand shrimp farming, but building an effective value chain remained a major challenge, while efforts to set up hatcheries were also under way.

Sindh’s secretary for livestock and fisheries said a feasibility study was being prepared for a 3,500-acre shrimp farm in the province, and stressed the need to address challenges in value addition and traceability.

Other participants also presented proposals to improve shrimp processing, value addition and export competitiveness.

The minister said the next meeting would review progress on nominations and baseline data collection, the consolidated baseline for farmed shrimp, identified bottlenecks, working-group activities, gaps in available evidence, and an initial assessment of risks and proposed interventions.

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