Shandan, Zhangye, Gansu: Dairy cattle farming weaves the dream of farmers getting rich
In winter, the weather after the snow is a bit chilly. Arriving at the dairy cattle farm in Xitun Village, Dongle Town, Shandan County, more than 150 plump and sturdy dairy cows were all basking in the sun in the exercise yard.
"The weather has been too cold lately, so the dairy cows need to bask in the sun more," said Huang Zhengping, head of the farm. Although Huang Zhengping is only 29 years old this year, after more than half a year of hard work and experience, he has already become a young and promising "cattle commander," and the shareholders all trust him to manage the farm with confidence.
Together with the workers, he mixed the feed and loaded it onto a special mechanical feed spreader. The machine, more than two meters tall, was pulled by a large tractor. Huang Zhengping nimbly climbed into the driver's cab and demonstrated on the spot how to operate it. Hearing the roar of the machinery, more than 150 dairy cows entered the modern greenhouse one after another to eat their "nutritious meal."
"The feed I use now is all mixed by myself. It not only suits the cattle's taste and growth needs, but also effectively reduces costs. The year before last, I went to Henan Huahua Cattle Industry Group to study and inspect for nearly a month, and I felt like a sponge absorbing water. My management, feeding, and other aspects all improved greatly," Huang Zhengping said. At the beginning, after using the feed he bought for a period of time, he found that not only was the cost high, but some cattle could not adapt to it after eating it. After returning from his studies the year before last, he researched it himself, staying with the cattle all day, studying feed ratios and the prevention and treatment of common diseases. Now, based on the condition of the cattle dung, he can judge the health status of the cattle and can also handle the prevention and treatment of common diseases.
Xitun Village is located at the westernmost end of Shandan County. Crop farming is the pillar industry, and straw resources are abundant. At the same time, it is close to National Highway 312, with convenient transportation. In 2014, after extensive investigation and demonstration, the village decided to develop dairy cattle farming and build a dairy farm in the form of a joint-stock cooperative. It planned to invest 75 million yuan over 3 years to build a standardized farm covering an area of 600 mu with 3,000 dairy cows in stock.
"The original plan was to invest 12 million yuan in 2015 and introduce 500 dairy cows, but due to the shortage of funds, only more than 150 cattle were brought in, far below the capacity of the current two high-standard cattle barns." When mentioning the funding problem, Huang Zhengping looked a little gloomy. "At present, at least 6-8 million yuan more in working capital is still needed. We are thinking of every possible solution. This is the most difficult time."
When talking about the prospects for the development of the dairy cattle farming industry, Huang Zhengping was full of confidence again. "At present, milk production is shifting to the north. Because of the weather, the south is no longer suitable for dairy cattle farming, and the costs are too high. Now is exactly the right time to develop the dairy cattle farming industry, and the prospects are very good." Huang Zhengping said with certainty, adding that there are already successful precedents in this regard in the Hexi area.
Huang Zhengping also told reporters that at present, the farm has reached a preliminary supply agreement with leading domestic dairy enterprises such as Zhuangyuan Dairy. If the funding problem is smoothly resolved, by 2017, the dairy cattle herd will strive to reach 3,000 head, driving the development of 15,000 mu of forage (feed) grass planting bases, with a daily output of 32 tons of fresh milk, annual sales revenue of 36.6 million yuan, and realized profit of 10 million yuan. The farm will become a leading enterprise in modern animal husbandry that drives the surrounding people to increase income and become rich.