In a significant milestone for Sino-Pak cooperation in advanced livestock biotechnology, the Chinese company Beijing Asia has signed an agreement with Pakistan's VitaGene Farms to produce 2,000 high-quality sheep and goat embryos during the first phase. These embryos will be sold commercially in the Pakistani market, according to a report carried by Gwadar Pro on Wednesday.

The historic agreement was signed on April 28 in China between Dr. Jiang Yunji, Director of Beijing Asia, and Dr. Qaiser Shahzad, Head of VitaGene Farms.

Beijing Asia owns over 10,000 sheep in China and has expertise in sheep embryo transfer. VitaGene Farms, an animal breeding company, owns state-of-the-art embryo production and semen production units and provides services for embryo and semen production in Pakistan.

In an interview with Gwadar Pro, Dr. Qaiser Shahzad explained that initially, embryos from sheep and goats will be imported from China.

"Using Chinese technology, embryos will be collected from genetically superior female sheep and goats through in vivo methods.

Hormonal treatments will then be applied to induce multiple ovulation, enhancing the chances of embryo transfer in Pakistani breeds, often at different developmental stages to optimize pregnancy rates," he added.

China and Pakistan have already made significant strides in livestock collaboration. In 2024, Royal Cell Biotechnology (Pakistan), a subsidiary of China's Royal Group, exported 10,000 embryos of the Nili Ravi buffalo — Pakistan’s premium dairy breed known for high milk yields — to its partner, Royal Cell Biotechnology Guangxi, in China.

This marked the first-ever commercial export of buffalo embryos from Pakistan.

The results in China have been impressive. The first embryo-derived calf was born in April 2025, marking a historic milestone in global buffalo reproduction.

Since then, more than 3,000 embryo transfers have been completed, leading to the birth of over 400 calves, with another 500 pregnancies confirmed.

In a further development, the Chinese company Royal Cell Biotechnology (Pakistan) Co. Ltd has begun selling buffalo embryos produced through advanced Chinese IVF technology on a commercial basis in Pakistan.

In collaboration with the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, these embryos are now being made available at an affordable price of Rs 30,000 each in local markets across Pakistan.

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