ISLAMABAD: The chief minister of Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province this week launched a plan to establish technology-driven shrimp estates in Muzaffargarh and Sargodha by March 2026 with the expertise of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (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 to improve efficiency, biosecurity and export capacity.
"Phase-I will establish 5,300 acres of shrimp estates in Muzaffargarh and Sargodha by March 2026, Insha’Allah," Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said in a post on X on Sunday.
"The initiative is built on global R&D, advanced aquaculture technologies and world-class expertise from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Ecuador, Australia and Mexico," she added.
"The project has been formally launched, with machinery already on the ground and dedicated teams working day and night to ensure timely execution."
