Farmers Bullish About Prospects Brought By Homegrown Cattle

Farmers bullish about prospects brought by homegrown cattle

Zhang Shichun decided to raise cattle seven years ago only so the herd would consume the corn stalks left on his farmland. Now The cattle have become a cash cow

ZHENGZHOU (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jan, 2021 ) :Zhang Shichun decided to raise cattle seven years ago only so the herd would consume the corn stalks left on his farmland. Now The cattle have become a cash cow.

Zhang, a former migrant worker, currently has 10 cattle in stock, bringing home 100,000 Yuan (about 15,480 U.S. Dollars) a year at his hometown in Biyang County, central China's Henan Province.

By raising cattle at home, Zhang has supported his children in school and taken care of his family. "Dealers come every year to purchase cattle. I have not had any sales problems," he said.

Biyang County is the birthplace of Xianan cattle, one of China's self-developed beef cattle breeds. It was successfully created in 2007 through crossbreeding of French Charolais cattle and Nanyang cattle, a fine variety primarily used as a draft animal in China.

Lin Fengpeng, a member of the research team that developed the breed, said that a Xianan cattle can reach over 750 kg in seven to eight months after birth.

"The cattle are strong, and provide more high-quality beef," he said.

According to Lin, each Xianan cattle can bring an additional 2,000 to 3,000 yuan to farmers compared with traditional breeds.

"We aimed to develop the breed into a brand to help expand the local economy," said Qi Xinglei, leader of the research team.

The team is on the course of developing a new variety of Xianan cattle, temporarily named "hornless Xianan cattle," whose longer body can yield more high-quality beef, according to Qi.

In a bid to further complete the industry chain, the local government in 2017 introduced Hondo Beef, a leading beef processing enterprise in China. The company drove the development of local second and tertiary industries and the establishment of a national modern agricultural industrial park in Biyang County.

The industry chain of Xianan cattle currently involves research and development, farming, slaughtering, meat processing and sales as well as manure processing in the county, where 395,000 cattle are raised.