The ground breaking ceremony of Shahzad and Shao Farm, a joint venture involving Pakistani and Chinese investors in donkey business, was held in the Gwadar Free Zone, marking a step forward in bilateral economic cooperation and efforts to promote local production, processing and exports.

Shahzad & Shao Private Farm Co., Ltd. is an investment enterprise established in Pakistan's Gwadar Free Zone, Gwadar Pro reported on Tuesday.

It covers an area of approximately 16,500 square meters, with a building area of about 5,000 square meters.

The total investment is estimated at around ￥52 million, and it is expected to create about 120 local jobs.

On the occasion of the groundbreaking ceremony, Gwadar Port Authority Chairman Noor-ul-Haq Baloch said industrial development in the free zone would create new opportunities to access international markets through Gwadar Port. He highlighted the investment potential of Balochistan’s agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors.

Shao Yunfei, CEO of Shahzad and Shao Farm said that joint investment would create new employment and technical training opportunities for local youth.

Investment in agriculture and food-related sectors could help connect local resources with international markets, while the expansion of industrial and productive activities in the free zone remained a government priority.

It is pertinent to mention that Shahzad and Shao (Private) business firm, a joint venture of Pakistan and Chinese companies, officially secured four acres of land in the Gwadar North Free Zone to establish a donkey slaughterhouse and processing factory for exporting donkey meat and hides to China.

In order to start the construction work for the donkey factory, initial soil testing was conducted as per set rules and regulations on August 10. In accordance with government guidelines, the company has also obtained a quota of 150,000 donkeys for slaughter per year.

“The company has already obtained all necessary licenses and no-objection certificates from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, the Animal Quarantine Department and the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC),” a GPA official told Gwadar Pro.

Efforts are afoot to develop donkey farms in collaboration with local donkey farmers in the areas of Sindh and Punjab, he added. Pakistan’s first China-led top-notch construction of modern slaughterhouse for donkey meat and hide was completed at a cost of $50 million last year.

In China, there is a significant market demand for donkey meat and hides, particularly as donkey hides serve as a crucial raw material for Ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicinal product.

Pakistan, the world’s third-largest donkey-owning country, has a population of approximately 5.8 million donkeys.

A GPA official revealed that having been catalysed with construction of donkey slaughterhouse and companies’ operationalization in Gwadar North Free Zone, many other companies have applied for obtainment of lands.

These companies include MLG Farms, Sang Yang Global Limited, Foshan Brothers and Sisters Trading Company.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China