BEIJING: China has allowed specific regions of Pakistan to export buffalo embryos that meet its quarantine requirements.
The latitude and longitude coordinates provided in the recent joint announcement of the China General Administration of Customs and the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs correspond to the buffalo epidemic-free ranch of Royal Group in Punjab, Chinese media reported.
This marks the first ranch in Pakistan and the only one in the world capable of exporting high-yield buffalo embryos to China.
As one of the first agricultural projects initiated under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Royal Group’s “Buffalo Breeding Project” has made significant progress.
The importation of buffalo embryos into China can significantly shorten the cycle of improving dairy buffalo breeds from 12 years in the past to three years. Additionally, the milk production of a single buffalo can be increased by more than threefold.
In addition, 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 has helped solve 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. In the following year, the Royal Cell in vitro embryo production plant was formally inaugurated.
Now, local technicians in Pakistan can produce hundreds of high-quality buffalo embryos in a week. The embryos will breed high-yielding milk buffalo herds and greatly increase buffalo milk production once they are introduced to China.
At present, a 10,000-head buffalo breeding ranch funded by Royal Group is currently under intensive construction. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by June 2024.
The first phase will provide 3,000 recipient cattle for carrying out embryo transplantation of high-yield buffaloes from Pakistan. This initiative aims to rapidly breed the first batch of high-yield breeding herds in China.
