Sindh Government

Brief Overview of Ongoing Aquaculture Interventions in Rural Sindh

Program Overview

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), under the European Union-funded Poverty Alleviation and Inclusive Development Across Rural Sindh (PAIDAR) Programme, is implementing a comprehensive aquaculture development initiative aimed at strengthening sustainable fisheries and aquaculture value chains in Sindh. It focuses on enhancing productivity, strengthening rural MSMEs, SMEs, promoting investment, and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for rural communities through technical assistance, matching grants, and international technology transfer.

Technical Partnership & Expert Support

Indonesia is leading aquaculture hub in Southeast Asia, and its tropical climate and wide coastline resembles with the climate of Interior Sindh, Pakistan. Due to the climate resemblance and wide range expertise in diverse species (Inland & marine) including shrimp, tilapia, snakehead, freshwater giant prawn and crab farming, UNIDO-PAIDAR has engaged a team of Indonesian aquaculture experts specializing in value chain development, and investment planning to support and strengthen the aquaculture sector in Interior Sindh. Since October 2024, experts have been working closely with the UNIDO local team and implementing partners to provide technical guidance and global knowledge exchange for the implementation of aquaculture business plans across the three programme districts (Thatta, Sujawal and Badin).

At present, technical assistance is being provided to a wide range of PAIDAR-supported enterprises covering Tilapia, Shrimp, Mud Crab, Freshwater Giant Prawn, and Snakehead value chains. These interventions include the development and implementation of investment-ready business plans, establishment of hatcheries and nursery systems, introduction of semi-intensive farming technologies, development of farmer networks, feed formulation technologies, and value-added processing facilities.

Major Aquaculture Interventions

Freshwater Giant Prawn

A major milestone of the programme is the establishment of Pakistan's first commercial Freshwater Giant Prawn hatchery at Pak Gharo Agri & Livestock Farm Thatta under EU funded PAIDAR SME Grant Window with a total project investment of EUR 407,232 (50% financial equity worth, EUR 203,616 supported through EU funded UNIDO-PAIDAR programme). The hatchery infrastructure has been completed, while broodstock procurement from Malaysia is planned to enable commercial seed production during 2027. Parallel activities include the preparation of extension service materials, development of nursery and grow-out business models, and formulation of outreach strategies to establish farmer networks linked with the hatchery.

Tilapia & Shrimp

Under the Tilapia Value Chain, PAIDAR has supported demonstration models of semi-intensive farming to OBH Farm, Sujawal. Under the EU funded UNIDO-PAIDAR SME grant window, OBH farm has been equally supported with worth of EUR 191,793 for development of commercial tilapia & carp nurseries and grow-out farming at Sujawal (total project Investment worth of EUR 383,586) Technical interventions include improved pond management, feed formulation, disease diagnosis, development of standard operating procedures (SOPS), farm staff training, and establishment of research and development capacity to promote improved aquaculture practices among farmers.

Priority Value Chains

Mud Crab Value Chain

In the Shrimp Value Chain, technical support is focused on improving intensive and semi-intensive shrimp farming systems, strengthening commercial grow-out farms, and developing a sustainable shrimp hatchery model at Hawks Bay, Karachi. The proposed hatchery is expected to address one of the major constraints facing Pakistan's shrimp sector-the limited availability of quality seed, while supporting future expansion of commercial shrimp farming in Sindh. Technical guidance with development of commercial shrimp farming business plan was also supported to Mani’s Aqua Tech on the pilot biofloc shrimp model in Thatta.

Snakehead Value Chain

Due to stronger economic return and shorter life cycle, the Mud Crab Value Chain has emerged as another the programme's priority investment area. PAIDAR is supporting two commercial SMEs in Thatta (grant support of worth EUR 365,573) and one in Badin (grant support of EUR 38,598) on innovative vertical and horizontal crab fattening models, while simultaneously developing networks of small-scale crab farmers in Shah Bandar, Keti Bandar, and surrounding coastal areas. These producer groups will receive technical support and micro-grants to strengthen production and establish market linkages with PAIDAR-supported SMEs for domestic marketing and export opportunities

Capacity Building & Investment

The programme is also introducing a new Snakehead Value Chain, where a commercial hatchery and value-added albumin production facility are being developed in Sujawal. This intervention is expected to diversify aquaculture production while promoting higher-value processing opportunities within the province.

Way Forward

In parallel with enterprise development, UNIDO-PAIDAR continues to strengthen the capacity of aquaculture stakeholders through structured training programmes. Recently, the programme successfully organized a two-day Master Trainers Programme on Tilapia, Shrimp, and Freshwater Giant Prawn Value Chains, which trained 20 master trainers, including technical officials from the Sindh Livestock & Fisheries Department, academia, and private-sector partners. The master trainer’s further roll out trainings to PAIDAR micro grantees & small-scale rural farmers on lesson learned resource materials in programme three districts (Thatta, Sujawal and Badin. Additionally, an Aquaculture Investment & Value Chain Workshop brought together more than 80 participants, including investors, financial institutions, government agencies, universities, and development partners, to showcase investment-ready business plans for the Shrimp, Tilapia, and Mud Crab value chains and promote private-sector investment in Sindh's aquaculture sector.

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