Shrimp farming: beyond prepared ponds

Business Recorder says Pakistan’s shrimp exports were about $62 million in the 12 months to June 2026, compared with India’s $5.62 billion in the year to March. Punjab officials say 1,000 farms across 5,500 acres are prepared, with production under way, while a hatchery planned to supply 280 million shrimp a year has yet to be built. The province has also approved in principle an expansion plan covering 30,000 acres.

The report argues that farm readiness alone cannot secure export growth: seed deliveries, site-specific water conditions, disease testing, processing capacity and export compliance must be coordinated. It also notes conflicting estimates of Pakistan’s total seafood exports, $568 million from the ministry and about $482 million from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, with neither figure identifying farmed shrimp. Before expanding, authorities are urged to disclose operational acreage, seed arrangements, expected harvests and actual performance.