A Pakistan-China joint venture has taken a major step to expand livestock trade between the two countries. Shahzad and Shao (Private) Limited, a business partnership of Pakistani and Chinese companies, has secured four acres of land in Gwadar’s North Free Zone. The land will be used to build a modern slaughterhouse and processing factory focused on donkey meat and hides for export to China.
The company officially received the land on August 10, 2026. Soil testing has already begun so construction can start soon. Under government regulations, the firm has been approved to process up to 150,000 donkeys each year. It also holds all required licenses and no-objection certificates from Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and Research, the Animal Quarantine Department, and China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC).
Officials say the project will create opportunities for local farmers. Plans are underway to set up donkey farms in Sindh and Punjab in partnership with local breeders. This will help supply healthy animals to the new facility while providing farmers with a steady source of income.
The move follows recent successful shipments by another Chinese company, Hangeng, which exported donkey meat and hides worth about $195,425 from the same free zone. Pakistan lifted earlier restrictions on these exports after completing strict health and quality checks. China has strong demand for donkey meat as food and for hides used in traditional medicine such as ejiao.
Gwadar’s North Free Zone offers modern infrastructure and special trade rules that make exports easier. This new plant is expected to strengthen Pakistan-China economic ties, create jobs in Balochistan, and open a new chapter in the country’s livestock sector by turning a traditional animal into a valuable export product.