China has cloned a super-cow capable of producing 18 tons of milk per year
(ORDO NEWS) — Chinese scientists at Northwestern A&F University have for the first time successfully cloned a highly productive Holstein cow that can produce 18 tons of milk per year.
It is noted that three cloned calves were born. The first weighing 56.7 kg was a complete copy of the selected animal. Biologists indicate that such a “super-cow” can produce more than 100 tons of milk in a lifetime.
According to project leader Jin Yaping, this is a breakthrough for China, as now scientists will be able to save the best dairy animals and achieve independence in the agricultural sector from other countries.
The publication drew attention to the fact that about 6.6 million cows of the famous highly productive Holstein-Friesian breed live on Chinese farms, which have been imported into the country for many years.
At the same time, only five out of 10 thousand of these animals are long-lived and have high milk productivity, while also maintaining resistance to difficult living conditions.
Due to the fact that the animals are scattered on farms throughout China, their breeding was difficult. Cloning will allow Chinese specialists to cope with the growing demand of the population for dairy products.
Scientists note that now it will be possible to store the genes of super-cows and create a whole cloned herd from them.
“We plan to spend two to three years building a herd of more than 1,000 super cows,” said Jin Yaping.
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