Punjab’s shrimp farming initiative has moved from an August 2024 announcement to verified production, exports, and active construction on thousands of acres. The first-ever indigenous shrimp harvesting of around 120 metric tons was completed from the pilot project, and shrimps were exported to China, UAE, Jordan and Vietnam.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif described the initiative as the province’s largest and most significant Blue Economy project to date. The government is now building dedicated shrimp estates with international expertise and allocating billions in subsidies and soft loans to private farmers.
The 100-acre pilot that started it all
The initiative began with a successful pilot project spread over 100 acres in Muzaffargarh, where saline and barren land was utilized to produce shrimp at the local level for the first time.
The shrimp farming pilot project, organised by the Punjab Fisheries Department, was completed in a record time of two months. For the first time, shrimp farming is utilising a mix of 50% local and 50% foreign feed.
The production results exceeded expectations. The original target was to harvest 1,000 kilograms of shrimp from one acre. The project achieved twenty times the production target.
CM Nawaz stated that by developing shrimp farming on marginal lands, “we can transform unproductive areas into thriving ecosystems.” She noted the production of high-value white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) has emerged as a successful industry in countries including Ecuador, China, India, Thailand and Vietnam.
First harvest: exports to four countries
The pilot moved from field to market. The shrimp farming pilot project has successfully completed its first phase, with the experimental produce sent from Muzaffargarh to Karachi for export.
As per figures shared during a presentation to the CM in Muzaffargarh, one acre of land is expected to turn out a profit of Rs 550,000 per harvest and if exported, is expected to bring $5,000.
CM Nawaz stated that shrimp farming on 100,000 acres can generate up to one billion dollars in foreign exchange, with a potential profit margin of up to 40 percent.
The scale of the ambition sits against a sober backdrop. Currently, Pakistan shrimp exports amount to approximately $78 million (as of 2022), in stark contrast to India, which captures roughly $5 billion of the global market share.
The Rs 4.43 billion development program
Following the pilot’s success, Punjab formalized a comprehensive four-year program.
The CM Punjab Initiative for Development of Shrimp Aquaculture carries a cost of Rs. 4,430.490 million with a gestation period of 48 months (2024-25 to 2027-28). The project aims to create livelihoods, enhance food security, generate export revenues and contribute to Punjab’s prosperity.
Infrastructure components
The official Fisheries Department breakdown includes:
- Dedicated Directorate of Fisheries for Shrimp Aquaculture (Rs. 449 million)
- Shrimp Research and Training Center in Muzaffargarh (Rs. 534 million)
- Strengthening of Quality Control Labs in Lahore (Rs. 95 million)
- Development of Shrimp Hatchery in Punjab via EPC firm with 3-year operational cost (Rs. 1,200 million)
- Development of Shrimp Farms on 1,000 acres and outsourcing to private sector. Farms on 400 acres will be completed during the current financial year and 600 acres by 31.12.2025.
Financial support for farmers
The package for private investors is substantial:
- Subsidy to Shrimp Farmers: Rs. 2,000 million for shrimp seed and feed — Rs. 0.8 million per acre (total 2,500 acres over 4 years).
- Soft Loans at zero-interest totalling Rs. 13,000 million: Rs. 2,000 million for two shrimp hatcheries, Rs. 2,000 million for two processing units/cold storages, Rs. 2,000 million for two shrimp feed mills, and Rs. 7,000 million for farm construction/operation at Rs. 2.5 million per acre to individual farmers (up to 10 acres per farmer, total 2,800 acres over 4 years).
Read more: Pakistan’s seafood exports to China surge 25% to $153 million in first quarter of 2025
5,300-acre shrimp estates: Phase-I launched
In December 2025, the project’s scale expanded dramatically.
The CM launched a plan to establish technology-driven shrimp estates in Muzaffargarh and Sargodha by March 2026 with the expertise of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The project will include hatcheries, aqua malls, processing plants, cold storage facilities, and an integrated transport and logistics chain.
Shrimp estates are designated zones for large-scale shrimp farming and processing, designed to cluster the entire value chain in one location. “Phase-I will establish 5,300 acres of shrimp estates in Muzaffargarh and Sargodha by March 2026.”
A feasibility study is underway for an additional 26,000 acres.
Construction progress at Sargodha
The 15th daily progress report of the Sargodha shrimp farming project shows steady advancement. Nine shrimp ponds have been completed over 20 acres, while 5,320 metres of drainage infrastructure has been finalised. Surveys for an additional 10 acres have also been completed.
32 tubewells and eight transformers installed so far. Shrimp seed has been introduced into 64 research ponds, while work on additional shrimp estates is under way in Sargodha and Muzaffargarh.
A quality control laboratory being established in Lahore at a cost of Rs 4.5 billion is nearing completion, with 99 per cent of construction work finished.
Pakistani experts have undertaken training visits to Saudi Arabia and Mexico, while international specialists Jeffrey and Jamie Dominguez have visited Pakistan to provide technical support. Written examinations have also been conducted for 100 interns selected for the shrimp farming programme.
Critical challenges and expert concerns
The pilot’s success has not silenced doubters, and their objections are grounded in structural gaps.
No reliable hatchery for shrimp seed has been set up in Punjab yet and the seed has to be imported from abroad. There is also no provision of quarantine for exports, and without quarantine and health checking no country will accept the shrimps.
Export of shrimp from Pakistan is banned in many countries like Saudi Arabia and USA. Only companies registered in the European Union can export shrimp from Pakistan, that too from three to four registered companies only.
The Punjab government will register shrimp farmers and only those registered will be able to sell shrimp in the market. So far, only the Fisheries Department of Punjab is registered.
Realising this potential requires an enabling policy and comprehensive strategy paired with value chain development. Without these measures, scaling up shrimp farming will remain a pipe dream, much like the previous initiatives.
What to watch next
Punjab’s shrimp farming initiative is at a pivotal point. The pilot worked. The money is allocated. Construction is underway. But four questions will determine whether it scales:
- Hatchery delivery. The Rs 1.2 billion hatchery is the project’s single most critical piece. Without local seed production, Punjab remains dependent on imported seed and seawater shipped by container — an expensive and fragile supply chain.
- Export market access. The vision targets $50 million in exports within five years and $150 million within ten years. Achieving that requires lifting or working around bans in key markets and registering more than the current handful of exporters.
- 5,300-acre deadline. The March 2026 Phase-I target is weeks away. Whether the estates are operationally ready — not just physically built — will be the first major test of scale.
- Farmer adoption at scale. Subsidies and soft loans create incentives, but shrimp farming requires technical knowledge that most Punjab farmers do not yet have. The 100-intern programme and 600-farmer training target are first steps, but the pipeline needs to grow quickly for 2,800 acres of private farming to succeed.
Punjab’s shrimp project is Pakistan’s most ambitious aquaculture initiative. The pilot proved the concept works on saline land. The next 12 months will show whether the value chain — from seed to export dock — can hold together at scale.