Pakistani seafood exporters met with Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry in Beijing and updated him on discussions with their Chinese counterparts as Islamabad intensifies efforts to expand its fisheries exports.
During the meeting, the minister emphasized that signing memorandums of understanding and fostering business-to-business agreements will play a crucial role in enhancing fisheries exports, strengthening aquaculture collaboration, and elevating Pakistan as a key seafood hub in the region.
“Pakistan aims to reach $600 million in seafood exports in the upcoming financial year,” he stated.
Among the exporters, Tariq Memon, International Sales Manager at Arabian Sea Products, shared that his company is developing an advanced aquaculture and holding systems to cultivate and preserve live mud crabs and lobsters for export.
He said this initiative, in partnership with Chinese firms, seeks to extend the survival time of live seafood to two or three weeks, enabling access to distant markets such as China. Memon highlighted that success would depend heavily on technology transfer, investment, and aquaculture expertise from Chinese partners.
Minister Junaid Chaudhry noted that Pakistan’s seafood export sector, including live mud crabs and lobsters, is experiencing positive growth, contributing to total exports exceeding USD 465 million in FY 2024–25.
“Pakistan ranks as the third-largest global exporter of mud crabs, shipping over 3,000 tons of live mud crabs to China, its biggest importer,” the minister added.
Saeed Ahmed Fareed, CEO of Legend International (Pvt) Ltd, proposed a joint venture with a Chinese company focused on value-added frozen seafood and poultry products, such as chicken feet. Located in Karachi, the company operates a 65,000-square-foot facility with a processing capacity of 40 tonnes daily and holds approval from China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC).
Fareed explained that the collaboration would help both parties reduce costs, gain economies of scale, and broaden export reach to the US, Europe, and regional markets.
Ali Reimoo, partner at Karim Impex, shared his company’s plans for expanding into China and neighboring regions.
Meanwhile, Asif Muhammad Ali Shah, Director of Perfect Food Industries, highlighted the untapped potential in freeze-dried foods, a preservation technology initially developed by NASA for astronauts but now widely used across Asia.
Shah pointed out that although countries like 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 the absence of freeze-drying plants in Pakistan to high equipment costs and lengthy processing times but said international buyers are ready to commit to annual contracts if local production capacity is established, particularly to serve diaspora communities and niche food markets abroad.
The federal minister observed that Pakistan’s frozen food market was growing, supported by significant investments in cold chain infrastructure and advanced freezing technologies, which could lay the groundwork for future development of seafood-specific freeze-drying plants.
He emphasized that current infrastructure and market trends indicate promising potential for growth in this sector in near future.