September 19, 2006

China to produce dairy buffaloes using reproduction technology

Through the application of genetic improvement biotechnology, China will produce dairy buffaloes from the more than 20 million farmland-ploughing buffaloes in the country.

In China's southern Guangxi Zhuang Region, scientists in research centres recently announced that they have successfully experimented with embryo transfer technology to breed diary buffaloes.

In these trials, matured oocytes were fertilised in vitro and the good quality embryos were implanted into twenty recipient female buffaloes. Eight calves have been born under this trial.

With this development, buffaloes in China will soon assume a new role, that of milk production, other than their traditional old role of ploughing the fields. In this way, Chinese farmers can also increase their income by selling milk produced by their herds.

According to official statistics, China's annual per capita consumption of milk is just 6 kg, far below the world's average of 100 kg. Thus, there exists a big market potential as far as dairy products are concerned in China. Meanwhile, dairy products from buffaloes will soon widen food choices for consumers in southern China.