A Fresh Approach to Protecting Local Livestock and Poultry Breeds

Data shows that over the past hundred years, 450 local cattle breeds worldwide have become extinct; over the past 60-plus years, more than 70 sheep breeds have gone extinct or are on the brink of extinction.

Likewise, many of China's local fine livestock and poultry breeds are also under pressure from high-yield foreign breeds, and some are even endangered. Take beef cattle as an example: the supply-demand gap for beef in China has long been difficult to resolve, and large numbers of foreign breeding cattle and beef have poured in, continuously squeezing the living space of local cattle breeds. Recently, reports said that in Liaocheng, Shandong, the number of purebred Luxi Yellow cattle remaining is only 200 head, on the verge of disappearing.

A thousand pieces of gold are easy to come by, but one “breed” is hard to find. What has caused the endangerment and extinction of local fine livestock and poultry breeds? Once their potential value has been tapped, how should they be protected?

First, large-scale farming is the main reason many local fine livestock and poultry breeds have been abandoned by farmers. For farmers, economic benefit comes first. When choosing breeds to raise, they favor fine breeds with fast growth, short breeding cycles and higher productivity, causing local fine breeds to be gradually eliminated as time passes.

Some experts say that competition in animal husbandry will be competition in genetic genes. So the importance of breed conservation is self-evident. But how exactly should conservation be carried out? Who should do it? Building fine-breed farms and handing out a little subsidy is not enough. After conservation, there is also a need for “revival,” and the main force behind that “revival” lies among the public.

Second, a nucleus farm only preserves the genetic genes of a single breed, and relying solely on raising live populations will probably make it hard to lift local fine breeds out of their awkward survival situation. Moreover, whether it is a nucleus farm or a research and development institution, the limited subsidy funds are simply not enough to carry out the work of expanding the population. At this point, should we consider bringing enterprises in, implementing industrialized operations, and letting local breeds enter the market? And after enterprises get involved, establishing appropriate incentive and subsidy mechanisms is also very necessary, as it helps stimulate enterprises to carry out brand development and promotion in the later stages.

⟦NL> In addition, local governments have established local standards for local fine livestock and poultry breeds and applied for geographical indication certification, hoping to preserve the uniqueness of those breeds. But after applying for certification, many places do not know how to make use of it, while enterprises have no right to apply for certification, causing the pace of promoting fine breeds to stall.

The role of farming enterprises in breed conservation has been underestimated. Policy subsidies could be considered to encourage farmers to raise local fine breeds, thereby bringing more people into the process. Enterprises can establish nucleus farms, apply for geographical indication certification, and extend the industrial chain. Only by developing large-scale farming and getting more people involved in the processes of protection, breeding, population expansion and development can one endangered local fine livestock and poultry breed after another be saved.