BEIJING (Agencies): China has given the green light for specific regions of Pakistan to export buffalo embryos that meet its quarantine requirements. This decision corresponds to a recent joint announcement by the China General Administration of Customs and the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
The latitude and longitude coordinates provided in the announcement match the buffalo epidemic-free ranch of the Royal Group in Punjab, as reported by Chinese media. This marks the first ranch in Pakistan and the only one globally capable of exporting high-yield buffalo embryos to China.
The Royal Group’s “Buffalo Breeding Project,” one of the first agricultural projects initiated under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, has made significant strides. The importation of buffalo embryos into China can drastically reduce the cycle of improving dairy buffalo breeds from 12 years to just three. Furthermore, the milk production of a single buffalo can be increased more than threefold.
In addition to this, the Royal Group has established an in vitro embryo production factory and pastures in Pakistan. They have also recruited and trained local researchers and farm managers and provided high-quality germplasm resources of milk buffalo to Pakistan. This initiative has helped address the issue of maintaining the local super buffalo resource.
In 2021, the Royal Group established Royal Cell Biotechnology (Pakistan) and officially launched the “Milk Buffalo Provenance Chip” strategy. The following year saw the formal inauguration of the Royal Cell in vitro embryo production plant.
Currently, local technicians in Pakistan can produce hundreds of high-quality buffalo embryos in a week. These embryos will breed high-yielding milk buffalo herds and significantly increase buffalo milk production once introduced to China.
At present, a 10,000-head buffalo breeding ranch funded by the Royal Group is under intensive construction. The first phase of the project, providing 3,000 recipient cattle for carrying out embryo transplantation of high-yield buffaloes from Pakistan, is expected to be completed by June 2024. This initiative aims to rapidly breed the first batch of high-yield breeding herds in China.