Federal panel locks in shrimp farming roadmap window
Islamabad has given a clear clock to reshape shrimp farming. A sub-committee formed by the prime minister wants a full roadmap within 120 days covering wider culture of shrimp, stronger processing, and higher overseas sales. That drafting phase sits inside a longer 24-month cycle for putting measures in place and checking results.
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry convened the aquaculture and shrimp value-chain group. Officials from provincial fisheries wings and related federal bodies joined to shape one joined-up plan so pond and coastal aquaculture can compete abroad.
How the work will be organised
Members will compile one evidence-based dossier drawing on checked figures and feedback from people in the trade. The aim is to map where the sector stands today, pin down weak links from farm to port, and recommend steps that lift output, processing quality and export strength.
The panel cleared seven specialist working groups and a separate unit for forecasts and costings. Those teams must deliver 14 papers plus export outlooks, with clear ownership for each institution. They also agreed one shared method to gather and verify data, rank problems, shape reforms and track delivery. A first batch of tasks must be finished in 14 days.
Delegates came from fisheries departments in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (the federal export-promotion body) attended, as did the Ministry of National Food Security and Research and the Maritime Affairs ministry.
Provincial notes and what comes next
Chaudhry said the exercise should surface real constraints and workable fixes so shrimp farming can grow, products can be upgraded, and sales abroad can rise. He said Islamabad would join hands with the provinces and other partners to pool skills for that goal.
Punjab’s aquaculture and fisheries secretary, Rana Muhammad Saleem Afzal, said the province is already scaling shrimp farming, yet building a sound farm-to-market chain remains hard. Hatchery projects are also under way, he noted.
Sindh’s livestock and fisheries secretary said planners are preparing a feasibility study for a 3,500-acre shrimp farm. He stressed gaps in value addition (turning raw catch into higher-value products) and traceability (proving where stock came from). Others tabled ideas on processing, upgrading and export readiness.
The minister said the follow-up sitting will check nominations, baseline data gathering, a consolidated picture of farmed shrimp, listed bottlenecks, working-group progress, weak spots in the evidence, early risk readings and suggested remedies.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Sarkar ne jheenga (shrimp) farming ka plan 120 din mein tayyar karne ka time diya hai. Provinces aur federal idare mil kar production, processing aur export ka raasta banayein ge. Pehle 14 din mein shuruati kaam mukammal karna hai. Is se mulk ki machhli industry ko bahir bhejne mein madad mil sakti hai.
