LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved the establishment of shrimp estates spread over 5,600 acres in Sargodha and Alipur as part of a major initiative to promote the Blue Economy and aquaculture in the province. 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 has been laid. Survey work for an additional 10 acres has also been completed to expand shrimp farming operations in the next phase. A state-of-the-art quality control laboratory being constructed in Lahore at a cost of Rs4.5 billion is nearing completion, with 99 percent of the work finished. Another laboratory aimed at research and creating a conducive environment for shrimp farming in Muzaffargarh is 98 percent complete. Written examinations for the recruitment of 100 interns for the project have already been conducted. To ensure technical capacity, Pakistani experts have undergone specialised training in Saudi Arabia and Mexico on the Chief Minister’s instructions. The process of staffing for shrimp farming facilities is in its final stages, while foreign experts, including Jeffrey and Jamie Dominguez, have also visited Pakistan to provide technical training. Officials said that 32 tubewells and eight transformers have been installed for shrimp farming, while shrimp seed has been released in 64 research ponds. In Chak No.58, Sargodha, a shrimp estate and value chain will be developed over 124 acres, where excavation of 57 ponds has been completed. In Rakh Ali Wali, Muzaffargarh, land levelling and clearance over 2,507 acres have been completed, along with excavation of 57 ponds and 50 tubewells. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said the project would, for the first time, make barren and saline lands productive through shrimp farming. She described it as the largest Blue Economy initiative launched in Punjab to date, adding that the project would significantly boost provincial exports and create employment opportunities for thousands of young people. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026