ISLAMABAD   -  Federal government had provided Rs 112.56 million for the project promotion of trout farming in Northern Areas of the country under Prime Minister National Agricultural Emergency Program in order to promote fish farming in potential areas of the country. The government had initiated pilot shrimp framing cluster development program with objectives to promotion of shrimp aquaculture in inland areas, said an official in the Ministry of National Food Security and Research. Talking to APP he said that other aim of the initiative was development of shrimp value chain, support services and legal framework for livelihood and job creation for rural people, besides enhancing  export earnings from inland aquaculture farming. Meanwhile, Rs38.60 million was also provided the project management units of the cage culture cluster development project for optimal utilization of natural water resources, he said adding that it would help in up scaling cage culture technology across Pakistan. The project had provided livelihood opportunities and job creation for rural people and Increased per capita fish consumption, besides enhancing export earnings from cage aquaculture, he added.

He further informed that under Prime Minister’s initiative for Save the Calf, government had also provided Rs135.31.million in order to promote halal meat production in the country, adding that the initiative would help to enhance meat production in the country as well as to exports.

It is worth mentioning here that country earned $166.376 million by exporting about 73,421 million tons of fish and fish preparation during first five months of current financial year as compared the exports of corresponding period of last year.

Fish and fish preparation exports from the country during the period from July to November 2020-21 decreased by 9.72 percent as fish and fish products worth $184.294 million exported during the corresponding period of last year/395