Islamabad:
Pakistani exporters of seafood met with the federal minister of maritime affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry in Beijing and updated him about discussions with their Chinese colleagues as Islamabad intensifies efforts to expand the export of fishing.
The federal minister emphasized that the signing memoranda of understanding (Mous) and the promotion of business-to-business agreements would play a crucial role in improving fishing’s exports, strengthening aquaculture cooperation and raising Pakistan as an important seafood hub in the region. “Pakistan aims to reach $ 600 million in exports of seafood in the coming fiscal year,” he said.
Among the exporters, Tariq Memon, International Sales Manager at Arabian Sea Products, shared that his company developed an advanced aquaculture and holding system to grow and preserve live mud crabs and lobsters for export.
He said the initiative in partnership with Chinese companies is trying to extend the survival time of living seafood to two or three weeks, enabling access to distant markets such as China. Memon emphasized that success would depend strongly on technology transfer, investment and aquaculture expertise from Chinese partners.
The federal minister noted that Pakistan’s export sector for seafood, including live mud crabs and lobsters, experienced positive growth, which contributed over $ 465 million to the total exports of the 2024-25 financial year. “Pakistan is ranked as the third largest global exporter of mud crabs that send over 3,000 tonnes of live mud crabs to China, its greatest importer,” he added.
Saeed Ahmed Fareed, CEO of Legend International (PVT) LTD, suggested a joint venture with a Chinese company focusing on value -added frozen seafood and poultry products, such as chicken feet. The company is located in Karachi and operates a 65,000 square meter facility with a treatment capacity of 40 tonnes per day. Day and has the approval of China’s general customs administration.
FARED explained that the collaboration would help both parties reduce costs, gain economies of scale and extend exports to reach the US, Europe and regional markets. Ali Reimoo, partner at Karim Impex, shared his company’s plans to expand to China and neighboring regions.
Meanwhile, Asif Muhammad Ali Shah, director of Perfect Food Industries, highlighted the unused potential for freeze -dried food, a preservation technology originally developed by NASA for astronauts, but is now widely used in Asia.
Shah pointed out that although countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and China supply freeze -dried fruits and vegetables, Pakistan lacks such facilities despite strong international demand for products including mango, okra, bitter melon, falsa and guava.
He attributed to the absence of freeze-drying of plants in Pakistan for high equipment costs and long treatment times, but said that international buyers were ready to commit to annual contracts if local production capacity was created, especially to serve the diaspora community and niche market abroad.
The federal minister observed that Pakistan’s frozen food market grew, supported by significant investments in cold -chain infrastructure and advanced freezing technologies that could lay the basis for future shell -specific freeze -drying plants.
