US Grains Council Opens Chinese Dairy Training Center

Andy VanceExport, International, Markets, Promotion

Less than two hours drive from Beijing, US farmers are building demand for corn and soybeans by encouraging development of the Chinese dairy industry. Much as they have done with the poultry industries of countries like Morrocco and others, the US Grains Council is working to build demand for feed grains by training livestock producers in potentially lucrative overseas markets. The Chinese dairy industry is expected to supply over 40 million tons of milk a cheese by decade’s end, more than doubling current demand. In order to produce such a volume, more cows are necessary, higher efficiency in production is necessary, and more highly skilled producers are necessary. To that end, USGC unveiled the US-Sino Dairy Management Training Center. Located on a 620 cow dairy (looking to expand to 2000 cows by the end of 2007), the center is operated in cooperation with local dairy firm China Genetics. Current production per cow is barely over 11,000 lbs, supported by diets of poor local forage. By introducing concentrate-based diets and TMRs, USGC hopes to add over 1.5 million tons of corn demand each year. The center will host seminars on sound animal husbandry, quality forage production, and animal nutrition, among others.