China has published new regulations to stabilize the production of beef cattle as the industry faces declining prices and heavy losses, the country’s agriculture ministry announced on Friday.
The ministry noted that since the beginning of this year, the prices of live cattle and beef have continued to fall, leading to farms suffering losses and increased production pressure.
Beef production in the world’s largest meat consumer has risen in the past decade, reflecting a growing middle class and spurring an expansion of farms. China’s cow slaughter last year stood at 50.2 million, up 19% from 42 million in 2014.
However, consumption has taken a downturn in recent years as the economy has slowed.
To address the issue, the ministry said it will instruct farms to adjust breeding reasonably, eliminate old and low-yielding cattle as appropriate, optimize herd structure, and improve production efficiency.
Additionally, the ministry called for measures to increase the supply of forage and reduce costs, including raising grass planting in cultivated land and using beaches, abandoned land, and saline-alkali land.
To strengthen disease prevention, the ministry said it would support large-scale farms to increase biosafety measures and build disease-free communities.
The ministry also noted that growth in China’s beef imports has slowed, with the country importing 2.77 million tons of beef and offal in 2023, up just 1.5% from the previous year.