An average cow produces 10.8 tonnes of milk a year. Now, comes China’s cloned super cows which can give 18 tonnes
China has successfully cloned three ‘super cows’ from the Holstein Friesian breed, which is known for its milk-producing capacity. The move is a step to combat its dependence on imported dairy cows — 70 per cent of the bovines in the country come from abroad
Chinese scientists have cloned the three calves from a highly productive breed called Holstein Friesian. AFP
It’s moo-tastic news! Chinese scientists have successfully cloned three ‘super cows’ that produce abnormally large amounts of milk. The move is being hailed as a breakthrough for China’s dairy industry which is currently dependent on imported breeds.
The state-run Ningxia Daily reported that the three calves were born in the Ningxia region in the weeks leading up to the Lunar New Year on 23 January.
Here’s what we know about China’s cow experiment and how it will benefit China’s dairy industry.
Cow-a-bunga!
Scientists with the Northwest University of Agricultural and Forestry Science and Technology cloned the calves from a highly productive breed called Holstein Friesian, which originated in the Netherlands.
As per press release from the research, the first calf weighs 56.7 kg and was 76 cm tall at birth. Moreover, the calf bears the exact shape and skin patter of its cloned target.
The team led by Jin Yaping said that they took tissue from a cow’s ear to create the new breed of super bovines. Speaking to Global Times, Jin said they used the tissue to make an initial batch of 120 cloned embryos, 42 per cent of which were successfully impregnated in surrogate cows and 17.5 per cent of which remained fertile after 200 days.
Jin added that what sets these cows apart from the regular ones is that they will have the capability of producing 18 tonnes or 18,000 litres of milk a year. Compare this to the average milk-producing cow and the results are phenomenal; as per the US Department of agriculture, a regular bovine produces 10.8 tonnes of milk a year. In the United Kingdom, a normal cow produced 8,206 litres of milk in a year.
Jin added as their experiment was successful they will now build a herd of more than 1,000 super cows, adding that this would be a “solid foundation to tackle China’s reliance on overseas dairy cows”.
All about the Holstein Friesian
The super cows have been cloned from the Holstein-Friesian breed, which is known worldwide for its milk-producing capability. The breed has its origin in the northern provinces of North Holland and West Friesland of the Netherlands.
Today, the breed is popular all over Europe and the United States. They are valued highly for their milk-producing ability. In the United States, the Holstein-Friesians outnumber all other dairy breeds and produce nine-tenths of the milk supply.
People from the dairy industry say that top producing Holsteins have produced over 27, 000 kg of milk in a 305-day lactation period in the past 30 years.
China’s appetite for milk has grown over the years. In 2019, the number of dairy cattle in the country was six million and milk production surpassed 32 million tonnes. File image/AFP
China’s milk industry
China’s appetite for milk has grown over the years. The nation of nearly 1.4 billion people is now the world’s second largest consumer of dairy products, and imports are flying over the border, with dairies from New Zealand to Germany topping off the behemoth’s demands for milk.
The domestic milk market has also grown exponentially. In 1949, there were only 120,000 dairy cattle in China, with an annual milk production of 192,000 tonnes, an average yield of just above three tonnes per cow. In 2019, these statistics jumped exponentially. The number of dairy cattle in the country was six million and milk production surpassed 32 million tonnes.
Today, according to the Dairy Association of China, the per capita consumption of milk is 14.4 kg, compared to that of 0.4 kg in 1949.
With these super cows, China aims to reduce its dependence on imported cows — they make up 70 per cent of the country’s cow population. It is a step in achieving self-reliance and creating a food-secure nation.
China’s animal cloning
China’s super cow experiment is their latest success in animal cloning. In 2021, a Chinese company created the world’s first cloned Arctic wolf. Scientists at the time said that the move would help in the conservation of endangered species.
Also read: China’s first commercial genetic pet cloning service duplicates a star canine
In 2019, it cloned a cat using a similar technology. Two years prior to that, Chinese scientists said they produced cloned cattle with increased resistance to bovine tuberculosis, a risk to cattle in many countries. The Asian behemoth has also cloned a horse, which has been approved for equestrian sport.
The first animal to be cloned in the world was Dolly the sheep in 1996. It died in February 2003, from a lung infection.
With inputs from agencies
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