June 30, 2006

USGC centre in China to promote feeding corn to dairy cattle

US Grains Council has teamed up with China Genetics to open a dairy management training centre aimed at capitalising on China's dairy market through increased production and accelerating the demand for feed grains.

The programme is at the Hua Xia Dairy Farm near Beijjing where USGC has been developing a programme to enhance management skills in China's commercial dairy sector.

Chinese demand for dairy products including milk and cheese is expected to grow from about 15 million tonnes in 2004 to nearly 40 million tonnes by 2010, according to a report by Rabobank.

USGC estimates that China's cows are feed on low-quality crop residues. A corn silage-based diet could boost yields further, the council suggested.

China's dairy sector is growing rapidly and adding an estimated 1.5 million tonnes of new corn demand each year, USGC Chair Davis Anderson notes.

Feed grain demand can accelerate further if high-quality forages are utilised, Anderson said.

China Genetics, partner in the programme, operates a 620-cow dairy with plans to expand to 2,000 cows by the end of 2007.