Building on the success of the 100-acre pilot shrimp farming, the Punjab Government has committed to scaling up the initiative to 100,000 acres, with an ambitious export target of $1 billion annually in the $40bn global shrimp market. The initiative marks a critical transformation in Pakistan’s aquaculture landscape, where saline soil (unproductive lands) will be redirected toward high-value, labour-intensive shrimp farming.

Pakistan holds immense potential in aquaculture — a key sub-sector of the agriculture sector — offering vast opportunities for economic growth, job creation, enhanced food security, and exports. Shrimp farming in Pakistan is almost at the embryonic stage, and the country continues to fall short of realising its potential despite having extensive brackish water resources, favourable agro-climatic conditions, and strong global demand. Currently, Pakistan shrimp exports amount to approximately $78 million (HS Code 030613, as of 2022), in stark contrast to India, which captures roughly $5bn of the global market share.

Not only in Punjab but also in the coastal regions of Balochistan and Sindh, there are millions of acres of non-productive saline lands that can be used for large-scale commercial shrimp farming. However, realising this potential requires an enabling policy and comprehensive strategy paired with value chain development.

The government’s longstanding focus on traditional field crops, which has shaped Pakistan’s agricultural policy for the past 77 years, successfully met the nation’s objectives in the past.........

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