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Chinese scientists have cloned 3 super cows for the first time. This will be China’s solution to its dependence on imported dairy cattle. Photo/Courtesy of Northwest A&F University
BEIJING – Chinese scientists successfully cloned three super cows; Friesian Holstein, for the first time. The government can rely on this success to overcome its dependence on imported dairy cattle.
The cloning of this cow was carried out by scientists from the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
As China’s middle class population grew, the demand for goods such as milk and various seeds increased. However, according to a report by the Global Times, China has to import 70 percent of its dairy cattle population from abroad.
According to the report, the cloning experiment was to bring more access to milk to the country and reduce its dependence on other countries.
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The cows were cloned using tissue from Friesian Holstein which is known as a super cow, namely a dairy cow with very high milk production produced through a selective breeding process.
Holsteins are known for their milk production, and the super cow will be capable of producing up to 36,000 pounds of milk a year.
Shortly after the Covid-19 pandemic, China increased its imports of dairy products from the United States (US). The AgriPulse report says that in 2021, China’s milk imports from America jumped by 75 percent.
Scientists from Northwest A&F University, China, took a sample from one super cow ear and used it to make a clone.
The Global Times report said China’s only small proportion of highly productive dairy cows, just five in 10,000, and cloning efforts could massively increase the country’s milk production.
