Kathmandu- Buffalo meat exports from Nepal to China face uncertainty due to China’s refusal to accept meat sourced from India.

China has stated that buffalo meat imported from India and slaughtered or processed in Nepal is unacceptable. As a result, Nepal’s plan to export buffalo meat to China is uncertain.

China’s General Administration of Customs has informed the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development that buffalo meat exported from Nepal must come from animals born and raised in Nepal and under 30 months of age. This condition will be strictly enforced.

Following this stance, Nepali meat businesses have halted their export process, citing difficulties in bringing live buffaloes from India, slaughtering or processing them in Nepal, and exporting them to China.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Nepal’s buffalo population is declining, and annual buffalo meat production is around 116,000 metric tons, which barely meets domestic demand.

If exports were to begin under current conditions, about 70 percent of buffaloes would need to be imported from India, but China’s requirement blocks the use of Indian-origin buffaloes. Nepal would now have to rely only on buffaloes raised on domestic farms that meet all conditions.

Government programs such as breed improvement, artificial insemination, subsidies, and pocket area development are long-term and will take at least three years to become visible.
Chinese investors have renewed interest in a proposed mega meat processing industry in Sindhuli, which had stalled after recent the Gen-Z movement. The project has already received approval from the Department of Industry for foreign direct investment worth Rs 20 billion and targets exports to China.

The proposed industry aims to produce 200,000 metric tons of buffalo meat annually. It also plans to produce 55,000 metric tons of byproducts such as hides, internal organs, and heads. The project claims it will create direct employment for 5,156 people.

After the Gen Z movement and the instability that followed, Chinese partners had considered withdrawing. With their renewed readiness, the construction process has moved forward again.

Currently, Nepal exports 34 types of agricultural products to China through 61 companies. Green fodder is also being exported through five companies. Nepal has proposed exporting animal feed silage to China as well.

However, for products like buffalo meat that require large volumes and a long term supply chain, strict Chinese conditions and Nepal’s limited production capacity mean exports are not possible in the immediate future.