According to Xinhua News Agency, China has successfully developed a new breed of beef cattle called "Huaxi" and has acquired autonomous intellectual property. This would certainly increase the competitiveness of China's beef industry and the country's food security.
"Huaxi" cattle, whose maximum weight can reach 900 kilogrammes for a male and over 550 kilogrammes for a female, was designed to adapt to different climate environments in China. They generate 53.95 percent meat content per head of a cow. According to the report, "Huaxi's" great production capacity will hasten the sector's growth and raise farmers' incomes.
According to officials of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, beef cattle have a long and complex reproduction period which would likely be difficult for its breeding.
The research team behind "Huaxi" committed to keep up the selection of breeding in order to improve China's beef cattle quality and the industry's competitiveness abroad.
China imported 2.3 million tonnes of beef last year, accounting for a quarter of its consumption.
Liu Xianwu, vice-president of the academy, stated during a conference on scientific innovation in livestock and poultry that "The beef industry in China started late, and domestically-developed beef cattle varieties and beef quality are not able to meet the needs of consumers”.
He said that the industry's ability to grow sustainably is hampered by the fact that 70% of the beef cattle utilised for breeding are imported.
According to Li, the Huaxi cattle variety has undergone improved hybridization, the development of new genetic traits, and selective breeding from 1978 until it became the specialised beef cattle variety it is today, with a constant body shape, outstanding production capacity, and stable genetic performance.
"By 2027, China is expected to independently control the core genetic resources of its beef cattle stock, ensuring the security of supply," he said.
