Analysis of the Current Status of the Boer Goat Farming Industry and Forecast of Its Development Trends

The analysis of the current status of the Boer goat farming industry and the forecast of its development trends are matters of great concern to the many Boer goat farmers. After interviewing Director Gao of the Shandong Fenghua Livestock Boer Goat Breeding Farm and a number of sheep-raising experts in China, the author has summarized their views as follows:

The Boer goat, abbreviated as Boer, English name: boer goat, is currently recognized worldwide as the most ideal meat-type goat breed. It grows quickly, produces a high meat yield, breeds prolifically, has strong adaptability, suffers from few diseases, and is easy to raise. Facts have proven that first-generation Boer goat crosses show obvious heterosis, with a meat production rate 30%-50% higher than that of ordinary female-parent goats. The average daily weight gain during the suckling period is over 200 grams, and the slaughter rate is 50%-60%, making it the best sire for economic crossbreeding. At present, our country has developed and improved the breed to the sixth generation, and breed quality is already close to that of purebreds. Currently, the number of purebred Boer goats in our country is roughly around 20,000. So, given that the Boer goat has such excellent characteristics, what are the current status and development trends of the Boer goat farming industry? The author offers an analysis here.

1. Current status of the Boer goat farming industry

Our country began introducing Boer goats in 1995, and it has now been 8 years. By rough estimate, more than 0.7 thousand head have been imported from abroad across the country, about 20.0 thousand head have been multiplied domestically through natural reproduction and embryo transfer, and the national Boer goat inventory has reached around 30.0 thousand head. Using Boer goats as sires, cumulative production of improved goats from upgrading local goats has exceeded 10 million head. In just a few short years, our country's Boer goats have gone from nothing to something, and from few to many, and we have already ranked among the major Boer goat producing countries. At present, the Boer goat breeding industry has shifted from quantity expansion to quality improvement. Boer goats are moving onto dining tables faster and faster. The meat-sheep boom sparked by Boer goats has become a backbone project for rural industrial restructuring and farmers' income growth in many places.

2. Development trends of the Boer goat farming industry

A. Breeding "high-priced quality breeding goats"

Quality breeding stock is a technology-intensive commodity, composed of individuals that carry high-quality, high-yield major genes and have excellent production performance. Therefore, quality breeding can only be carried out in enterprises approved by the provincial-level competent business authorities, and these enterprises must possess a certain level of technical strength, complete infrastructure, and standardized feeding management and epidemic prevention. In addition, the breeding of quality stock must be highly standardized and undergo strict appraisal; not every individual becomes quality breeding stock. Generally speaking, special-grade and first-grade breeding goats account for only 30 percent of the whole flock, while auction champion goats are outstanding individuals selected one in a thousand. The quality breeding goats produced can make outstanding contributions to improving local goats. This is because high-quality, high-yield animal genes are priceless, and quality breeding stock is the carrier of high-quality, high-yield genes, whose improving effect is difficult to estimate. Many experts believe that whoever possesses superior breeding livestock resources occupies the commanding heights of livestock industry development. In developed livestock countries abroad, the auction price of a single breeding cow or breeding sheep can reach as high as over a million US dollars, while in our country it is not uncommon for outstanding Boer goat breeding stock to sell at auction for more than 100,000 yuan. This reflects people's awareness of genes, quality breeding stock, quality, fine products, brands, and the market. High prices for quality breeding stock are one of the important signs of a developed livestock industry and social progress.

B. Not all local goats should be improved with Boer goats

The Boer goat is a world-famous meat-type goat, while the vast majority of our country's local goats are ordinary goats with slow growth speed and poor meat quality. On the whole, in order to improve the meat production performance of our country's goats, it is correct to actively advocate using Boer goats to improve local goats everywhere so as to enhance meat performance, but Boer goat improvement cannot be promoted among all goats nationwide. We should especially emphasize that our country's famous cashmere goats, wool goats, and skin goats must absolutely not be improved with Boer goats, and in particular, the use of Boer goats for improvement in conservation areas of local breeds must be prohibited. For some local breeds with low production levels, conservation work should be done well. This is because people's current understanding and evaluation of a breed can only remain at the present level of knowledge, and the present level of knowledge is, after all, limited and perhaps mistaken. Breeds now considered not very good may, years later, become the new favorite of the market. Therefore, we cannot comprehensively promote Boer goat improvement in goat production nationwide. Even so, the number of goats nationwide that need Boer goat improvement will still be no less than 100.0 million head. It can be seen that in the future Boer goat quality breeding stock will still be in short supply.

C. The improvement effect of Boer goats is remarkable

There are more than 10 million Boer goat crossbred improved offspring. As to exactly how effective Boer goat improvement is, localities have conducted a large number of trials and reports, and the relatively consistent view is that after improvement, production speed is noticeably faster, the meat-type body conformation becomes prominent, and meat production performance improves. Generally speaking, the smaller the body weight of the local goat, the greater the relative weight gain of the improved offspring and the smaller the absolute weight gain; the larger the body weight of the local goat, the smaller the relative weight gain of the improved offspring and the greater the absolute weight gain. In short, the meat production performance of improved offspring of large-bodied goats is superior to that of improved offspring of small-bodied goats. From the perspective of breed, the improved offspring of dairy goats are superior to those of other local goat breeds. As for evaluations of meat quality, views differ. Most people believe that meat quality has improved, while some trials show that some meat production test indicators of the improved offspring decline, such as lighter meat color and coarser muscle fibers. Which statements are correct requires specific analysis, as this is related to the specific test animal breed, age, nutritional level, sex, sampling site, and testing method. It is too early to draw conclusions now. But personally, I believe that, on the whole, the production speed of Boer goat improved offspring is faster and the meat quality is improved, especially with obvious performance at the fat lamb stage.

D. Boer goat selection and breeding should focus mainly on meat traits

In recent years, Boer goat selection and breeding and market sales have attached great importance to appearance characteristics, especially ear length and width, head shape, and coloring. Of course this is understandable, because the ear shape and head shape of Boer goats are the main genetic characteristics of the breed. But when the market reaches a state of judging "heroes" and determining superiority or inferiority by ear shape and head shape, this becomes somewhat absolute and overly biased. As everyone knows, in breeding meat goats we ultimately need to select for meat production performance. One may ask, how many jin of meat can an ear grow? If this breeding method is not effectively corrected, we are bound to repeat the mistakes of Holstein dairy cattle breeding, where too much emphasis on the black-and-white coat pattern as an appearance trait and relaxation of selection for milk production performance caused Holstein cattle breeding to take many detours. If this continues for a long time, it will mean losing the "watermelon" while grabbing the "sesame seeds," with more loss than gain. Therefore, our country should establish a complete new standard for meat goat selection and breeding as quickly as possible to guide breeding and regulate the market.

E. Farmers are the main force in Boer goat farming

There are two situations. First, in places where Boer goat industrialization started earlier, Boer goats can continue to be used for grading-up crossbreeding to improve local first- and second-generation crossbred goats and produce high-generation improved goats, and these goats can be used to support some impoverished areas in improving local native goats so as to raise their meat production performance. The selling price of these goats is generally 2-3 thousand yuan each. If one farmer household raises ten such goats, annual income can reach 20,000-30,000 yuan. Second, based on economic crossbreeding to develop large-scale meat goat production, in places with the conditions, each household raises 25 foundation ewes, uses Boer goats for crossbreeding, produces about 50 lambs per year, fattened short-term and marketed within the same year, and annual income can also be over ten thousand yuan.

F. Boer goat farming should follow the path of industrialization

Boer goat industrialization can be summed up in eight words, namely planting grass, raising and preventing disease, selling, processing, production, and management. This means that to develop Boer goat industrialization, it is necessary to achieve quality breeding stock for reproduction, base-oriented grass planting, standardized feeding, institutionalized epidemic prevention, networked sales, standardized processing, large-scale production, and brand-oriented management.

In short, the prospects for Boer goat farming are very promising. The Boer goat is still the world's best quality meat goat breed, and using Boer goats to improve goats across the country has the most remarkable effect. The meat goat industry is a pillar industry for agricultural structural adjustment and farmers' income growth. The author asserts here that in 2010 Boer goat farming will still be extremely hot.

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