BEIJING – Pakistani seafood exporters met with Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry in Beijing and briefed him on their discussions with Chinese counterparts as Islamabad pushes to expand fisheries exports.
The minister underscored the importance of signing MoUs and promoting business-to-business agreements to strengthen aquaculture collaboration and position Pakistan as a regional seafood hub. He revealed that the government is targeting $600 million in seafood exports in the upcoming financial year, following FY 2024–25 exports that already crossed USD 465 million.
Highlighting the sector’s progress, he noted that Pakistan ranks as the third-largest exporter of mud crabs, shipping over 3,000 tons annually to China, its largest market.
Industry leaders presented their expansion plans:
-
Tariq Memon (Arabian Sea Products) discussed advanced systems for cultivating and exporting live mud crabs and lobsters, extending survival for weeks to access distant markets.
-
Saeed Ahmed Fareed (Legend International Pvt Ltd) proposed a joint venture in value-added frozen seafood and poultry products, leveraging the company’s GACC-approved facility in Karachi.
-
Ali Reimoo (Karim Impex) shared expansion strategies for China and neighboring regions.
-
Asif Muhammad Ali Shah (Perfect Food Industries) emphasized opportunities in freeze-dried foods, urging investment in Pakistan’s first freeze-drying plants to meet global demand for products like mango, guava, okra, and falsa.
Minister Chaudhry acknowledged the rising frozen food market, supported by new cold chain infrastructure and advanced freezing technologies, adding that Pakistan has immense potential to establish seafood-specific freeze-drying plants in the near future.
