China is focusing attention on genetic gains to improve productivity and quality, reports Bloomberg news.
In the short term it will continue to import hogs, dairy cattle and chicken genetics, the report said, but in the longer term plans to have its own genetic-improvement programs.
As examples, Bloomberg cited government sources that estimate sow productivity is about 30 per cent short of Western-country performance and milk production about 20 per cent lower.
Pig performance is a prime candidate for improvement because the country lost about half of its breeding herd to African Swine Fever and many new and large operations are being built to start from scratch.
There the focus is on pigs that are ready for market at a heavier weight and have improved feed conversion. Both have been part of genetic-improvement programs implemented by Canadian swine breeders for decades.
Canadian swine and dairy genetics have been world leaders for almost a century.
