A sub-committee constituted by the prime minister has set a 120-day deadline to prepare a roadmap for expanding shrimp farming, improving value addition and boosting exports as part of a broader 24-month implementation and review process.
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry chaired a meeting of the sub-committee on aquaculture and shrimp value chain, which brought together provincial fisheries officials and relevant federal institutions to develop a coordinated strategy for transforming aquaculture into a competitive, export-oriented industry.
The committee will prepare a comprehensive report based on verified data and stakeholder recommendations. The exercise will establish a baseline for the sector, identify bottlenecks across the value chain and propose measures to improve production, processing and export competitiveness.
The sub-committee approved seven technical working groups and a projection and costing cell to prepare 14 reports and export projections, assigning responsibilities to the relevant institutions. It also adopted a common framework for data collection and validation, prioritising challenges, developing reform proposals and monitoring progress.
An initial 14-day action plan was approved, with participating institutions directed to complete their assigned tasks within the stipulated deadlines.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the fisheries departments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as 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 increase exports. The federal government would work with provincial governments and other stakeholders to pool expertise and develop a coordinated approach to harness the country’s potential in shrimp farming.
Punjab Secretary for Aquaculture and Fisheries Rana Muhammad Saleem Afzal said the provincial government was working to expand shrimp farming, but establishing an effective value chain remained a major challenge. Efforts were also underway to establish hatcheries, he added.
Sindh’s secretary for livestock and fisheries said a feasibility study was being prepared for a 3,500-acre shrimp farm in the province. He also highlighted 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.