Guangdong has now cumulatively cultivated 40 new livestock and poultry breeds (and hybrids) that have received approval from the national regulatory bodies, according to a press conference held by the Guangdong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on December 7th.
Among them, five major livestock and poultry breeds, including pigs, broiler chickens, Muscovy ducks, and meat pigeons, represent the pioneering domestically bred strains within their respective classifications. Notably, 30 new breeds (and hybrids) of broiler chickens account for over 40% of the national total.
Five key national leads
Liu Zonghui, Director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, pointed out that Guangdong ranks first nationwide in five key areas: the number of scientific research and technical teams, the number of leading enterprises in the livestock and poultry seed industry, the number of commercial breeding consortiums, the number of domestically cultivated breakthrough breeds, and the production and sales volume of major breed sources.
Liu said that Guangdong will further strengthen policy, financial input, and workforce support, promoting the concentration of seed industry elements such as technology, talent, land, and capital in advantageous seed enterprises.
Huang Lusheng, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Director of the National Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources Committee, noted that Guangdong's livestock and poultry seed industry leads the country in scaled, informatized, and intelligent farming. It has successfully cultivated five new breeds (and hybrids).
New breeds meet industrial and international market demands
Kang Xiangtao, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, pointed out that traditional breeds such as three-yellow chicken and spotted-brown chicken grow slowly and consume a lot, affecting the economic benefits of the industry, and farmers and farms are reluctant to raise them.
According to Kang, the newly cultivated "Lingnan Yellow Chicken No. 5" by the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the "Wens Spotted-brown Chicken No. 3" hybrids by Wens Foodstuffs Group are tailored to meet industrial demands. The cultivation of these two breeds has added new successful cases to the revitalization of the international seed industry.
Professor Chen Yaosheng from Sun Yat-sen University shared the breeding process of "Xiangxia Black Pig" and pointed out that the successful cultivation of this new breed is a manifestation of the deep integration of industry, academia, and research.
Chen Sheng, Chairman of Guangdong Yihao Foodstuff Co., Ltd., said that "Xiangxia Black Pig" combines the advantages of multiple excellent local pig breeds from different ecological regions, including high meat production, high muscle fat content, strong lactation ability, sturdy constitution, and tender muscle fibers.
Qin Kaitian, Vice President of Foodstuffs Wens Group, introduced that Wens currently has over 70 breeding materials for yellow-feathered broiler chickens and will continue to focus on breeding by leveraging these materials to provide consumers with more choices at different price points.
Seed industry expo emphasizes international participation
The press conference also revealed that the 23rd Guangdong Seed Expo will open on December 12th. At the Expo, more than 5,000 varieties from over 1,000 domestic and foreign enterprises and institutions will be showcased. The cases will be rich in types, involving eight categories and 22 varieties, covering rice, corn, wheat, sweet potato, fruit trees, flowers, edible mushrooms, and silkworms.
Furthermore, multiple special exhibitions will be set up, including high-quality, high-yield, and high-efficiency varieties of seed-mew rice and field demonstrations of molecular marker-assisted breeding, creating a major platform for the display of agricultural scientific and technological achievements in Guangdong.
Reporter | Chen Jinxia
Photo | Guangdong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Editor | Hu Nan, James, Shen He
