The government aims for $600 million in seafood exports.

Pakistani seafood merchants convened with Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry in Beijing to brief him on their interactions with Chinese colleagues as Islamabad increases its attempts to augment fisheries exports.

The federal minister underscored that the execution of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and the promotion of business-to-business agreements would be pivotal in augmenting fisheries exports, bolstering aquaculture cooperation, and positioning Pakistan as a prominent seafood center in the region. “Pakistan intends to achieve $600 million in seafood exports in the forthcoming financial year,” he remarked.

Tariq Memon, International Sales Manager at Arabian Sea Products, disclosed that his company is creating a sophisticated aquaculture and holding system to nurture and preserve live mud crabs and lobsters for export.

The program, in collaboration with Chinese companies, aims to prolong the shelf life of live seafood to two or three weeks, facilitating access to remote markets like China. Memon emphasized that success would significantly rely on technology transfer, investment, and aquaculture experience from Chinese collaborators.

The federal minister said that Pakistan’s seafood export sector, encompassing live mud crabs and lobsters, is witnessing favorable expansion, contributing more than $465 million to overall exports in the fiscal year 2024-25. “Pakistan ranks as the third-largest global exporter of mud crabs, exporting over 3,000 tons of live mud crabs to China, its primary importer,” he stated.

Saeed Ahmed Fareed, CEO of Legend International (Pvt) Ltd, suggested a joint venture with a Chinese firm centered on value-added frozen seafood and poultry items, including chicken feet. The company, situated in Karachi, operates a 65,000-square-foot facility with a processing capacity of 40 tons per day and possesses approval from China’s General Administration of Customs.

Fareed articulated that the partnership would enable both entities to minimize expenses, attain economies of scale, and expand their export access to the United States, Europe, and regional markets. Ali Reimoo, a partner at Karim Impex, disclosed his company’s intentions to grow into China and adjacent territories.

Asif Muhammad Ali Shah, Director of Perfect Food Industries, emphasized the unexploited potential of freeze-dried food, a preservation method originally created by NASA for astronauts, which is now extensively utilized throughout Asia.

Shah noted that whereas nations such as Thailand, Vietnam, and China provide freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, Pakistan lacks these facilities despite significant worldwide demand for products like mango, okra, bitter melon, falsa, and guava.

He ascribed the lack of freeze-drying facilities in Pakistan to elevated equipment expenses and protracted processing durations, yet indicated that international purchasers were prepared to engage in annual contracts if local production capabilities were developed, especially to cater to diaspora populations and specialized food markets overseas.

The federal minister noted that Pakistan’s frozen food market is expanding, bolstered by substantial investments in cold chain infrastructure and sophisticated freezing technologies, which may establish a foundation for the future development of seafood-specific freeze-drying facilities.