Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, has achieved a major breakthrough for Pakistan’s livestock sector by successfully finalizing a landmark Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) between the Ministry of National Food Security & Research and the Royal Group of the People’s Republic of China for the export of high-value buffalo genetic material from Pakistan to China.
The agreement is the result of sustained diplomatic, technical and regulatory efforts led by Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain and Animal Husbandry Commissioner Dr. Syed Murtaza Hassan Andrabi, who worked closely with Chinese counterparts to open a new avenue for livestock exports and international recognition of Pakistan’s superior buffalo genetics.
Under the agreement, the Royal Group of China has established a state-of-the-art embryo, semen and ova production facility in Pakistan for the collection, processing and export of buffalo genetic material, including embryos, semen and sexed semen, to China. The initiative marks a historic step toward transforming Pakistan’s livestock sector into a high-value export industry.
The Minister stated that Pakistan possesses some of the world’s finest buffalo breeds, particularly the Nili-Ravi breed, renowned globally for its superior milk production and genetic characteristics. He emphasized that the agreement will help position Pakistani buffalo genetics as an internationally recognized brand while creating significant opportunities for livestock farmers, breeders and researchers across the country.
According to initial projections, China will immediately import buffalo embryos worth approximately US$5 million from Pakistan. Annual exports of buffalo embryos, semen and sexed semen are expected to reach approximately US$25 million, generating valuable foreign exchange and opening new international markets for Pakistan’s livestock industry.
Rana Tanveer Hussain highlighted that the agreement has been carefully designed to safeguard Pakistan’s national interests and sovereign rights over its genetic resources. The Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) itself serves as a safeguard mechanism for Pakistan’s genetic resources, ensuring controlled access, regulated transfer, and protection against misuse or unauthorized exploitation. The agreement ensures compliance with the principles of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and Pakistan’s relevant legal framework governing access to genetic resources.
A key feature of the agreement is the comprehensive protection of Pakistan’s intellectual property rights and national interests relating to its valuable buffalo genetic resources.
The Minister noted that these provisions will ensure that Pakistan’s buffalo genetics remain a protected national asset and that future commercial benefits arising from their utilization are shared fairly and equitably with Pakistan.