Punjab Launches Largest Blue Economy Initiative with Shrimp Estates in Sargodha and Alipur

By Farzana Chaudhry
Lahore, Pakistan
LAHORE — Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved the establishment of large-scale shrimp estates spanning 5,600 acres in Sargodha and Alipur, marking the province’s most ambitious initiative to date aimed at promoting the Blue Economy and aquaculture development.
According to official sources, initial development work in Sargodha has been completed on 20 acres, where nine shrimp ponds have been constructed and a 5,320-metre drainage system laid. Survey work for an additional 10 acres has also been finalised as part of the project’s next expansion phase.
To support quality assurance and research, a state-of-the-art quality control laboratory in Lahore, being built at a cost of Rs4.5 billion, is nearing completion, with 99 percent of construction work completed. A second laboratory in Muzaffargarh, designed to facilitate research and create a conducive environment for shrimp farming, is 98 percent complete. Officials said written examinations have already been conducted for the recruitment of 100 interns for the project.
Capacity-building has been a key component of the initiative. On the chief minister’s instructions, Pakistani experts have received specialised training in Saudi Arabia and Mexico, while the staffing process for shrimp farming facilities is now in its final stages. In addition, foreign experts, including Jeffrey and Jamie Dominguez, have visited Pakistan to provide technical training and guidance.
Infrastructure development is also underway, with 32 tubewells and eight transformers installed to support shrimp farming operations. Shrimp seed has been released in 64 research ponds. In Chak No. 58, Sargodha, a shrimp estate and value chain is being developed over 124 acres, where excavation of 57 ponds has been completed. In Rakh Ali Wali, Muzaffargarh, land levelling and clearance across 2,507 acres have been finalised, alongside the excavation of 57 ponds and installation of 50 tubewells.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said the project would, for the first time, convert barren and saline land into productive assets through shrimp farming. She described the initiative as the largest Blue Economy project ever launched in Punjab, adding that it is expected to significantly boost provincial exports and generate employment opportunities for thousands of young people.
Officials believe the project will position Punjab as a key player in inland aquaculture, contributing to export diversification, rural development and sustainable economic growth.