PM sub-committee sets 120-day deadline for shrimp farming roadmap

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 increasing exports. The deadline is part of a wider 24-month implementation and review process.

The sub-committee on aquaculture and the shrimp value chain met on Tuesday under Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry. The process aims to turn aquaculture into a competitive, export-oriented industry, and federal and provincial institutions will assess the sector's potential, identify obstacles and recommend measures for production, processing and international market access.

According to an official statement, the sub-committee will prepare a comprehensive report using verified data and recommendations from stakeholders. The report will set a baseline for the sector and identify weaknesses across the shrimp supply chain.

The committee approved seven technical working groups and a projection and costing cell. These bodies will prepare 14 reports and export projections, while a common framework will guide data collection, validation, reform proposals and progress monitoring. An initial 14-day action plan was also approved, requiring participating institutions to finish their tasks within set deadlines.

Fisheries representatives from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan attended, along with officials from the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and the ministries of food security and maritime affairs. Chaudhry said the exercise would help find practical solutions and stressed cooperation between federal and provincial governments.

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, and noted the need for better value addition and traceability to meet export requirements.

Punjab's Aquaculture and Fisheries Secretary Rana Saleem Afzal said the province was working to introduce shrimp farming in suitable areas. He said some locations were unsuitable for conventional cultivation because of high groundwater salinity, which created an opportunity for shrimp farming and hatcheries, but named an effective value chain as a major challenge.

The next meeting will review the identified obstacles and available baseline data to decide the steps needed. Government figures cited in the reports put fish and fish preparations exports at a record $568 million in fiscal year 2025-26.