Herds of Scotland’s famous Aberdeen Angus bulls could soon be grazing in Kazakhstan.

Aberdeen’s Lord Provost Barney Crockett has agreed to sell the eggs and sperm of the iconic breed to the Kazakh authorities after meeting the giant Central Asian state’s ambassador, Erlan Idrissov.

Crockett said Kazakhstan was looking to expand its existing herd but understood the problems of exporting live cattle such long distances.

In recent years the northeastern Scottish authority has looked to expand its role on the world stage.

Crockett said: “What they would like is live beasts but there would be problems with that due to regulations on exporting animals and around their welfare.

“We are looking at providing sperm or eggs to help them create their own. Aberdeen Angus is one of the region’s most iconic brands that is known worldwide and the Kazakhs are looking to increase the quality of their beef herd.

“We have a memorandum of understanding and this is just one of the things we are looking at. I think it shows that these agreements have real benefits to the northeast economy.”

Aberdeen’s municipal chiefs are looking for business opportunities in Asia, Africa and South America to boost Aberdeen’s international reputation. The council has emphasised the need to build relationships with non-European countries as Brexit uncertainty continues.

Aberdeen already has deals with cities in South Korea and Colombia.

Barrie Turner, chief executive of the Aberdeen Angus Cattle Society, said such relationships were vital ahead of Brexit.

“There’s a huge world out there. I think this is certainly a good idea for the future of agriculture in the northeast,” Turner said.

“There are significant numbers of Aberdeen Angus already out there and the safest way to transport the herds is certainly by eggs and embryo. This method prevents disease.”

However, critics have condemned Aberdeen’s international strategy at a time when millions in cuts and savings will need to be made each year.

Kazakh visas

Kazakhstan is also making moves to open up with foreigners able to stay without registration for up to 30 days, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said.

Temporary registration for foreigners staying in Kazakhstan for less than a month had been cancelled, the ministry said.

But the receiving party must inform the migration service of the arrival of the foreigners within three business days.

A 72-hour visa-free option is available for Chinese and Indian citizens until the end of 2020.

Picture credit: PXHere