Pakistan is aiming for a substantial increase in seafood exports, targeting $600 million in the upcoming financial year 2025-26, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced during a meeting with Pakistani seafood exporters in Beijing. The minister stressed the importance of collaborations with Chinese businesses, highlighting memorandums of understanding and business-to-business agreements as key drivers for achieving this objective. He envisioned these partnerships strengthening aquaculture cooperation and establishing Pakistan as a major seafood provider in the region.
Exporters shared their innovative ventures with the minister. Tariq Memon, International Sales Manager at Arabian Sea Products, discussed the development of advanced systems for cultivating and transporting live mud crabs and lobsters. This project, undertaken with Chinese companies, seeks to increase the viability of live seafood during transit, expanding market access, particularly to China. Memon emphasized the crucial role of technological exchange, financial backing, and aquaculture knowledge from Chinese associates.
Minister Chaudhry noted the positive trajectory of Pakistan’s seafood shipments, including live mud crabs and lobsters, with total exports surpassing $465 million in the previous fiscal year. He highlighted Pakistan’s position as a leading mud crab exporter, sending over 3,000 tons to China, its primary market.
Saeed Ahmed Fareed, CEO of Legend International, proposed a joint venture with a Chinese firm for value-added frozen seafood and poultry. His Karachi-based company, with its extensive processing capacity and Chinese regulatory approvals, aims to optimize costs and expand its market presence globally.
Other exporters outlined expansion plans into China and surrounding areas, while Asif Muhammad Ali Shah, Director of Perfect Food Industries, underscored the potential of freeze-dried foods. He noted the global demand for such products, especially from Pakistan, and suggested that despite high initial investment, international buyers are eager for long-term contracts.
Minister Chaudhry observed that Pakistan’s burgeoning frozen food sector, with advancements in cold chain logistics and freezing techniques, presents a strong foundation for future development of freeze-drying facilities specializing in seafood. He expressed optimism about the sector’s growth prospects.