China's dairy industry has huge room to develop as more and more
Chinese people become aware of the benefits of consuming milk and
milk products.
The country should encourage farmers and companies to raise more
dairy cows to produce more raw milk because inadequate supply to
date has restricted the development of the industry.
An
industry official made these remarks yesterday at a workshop
sponsored by the Sub-Council for Agriculture under the China
Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and
Exposium France, a France-based group that organizes
exhibitions.
"We are aiming at a per capita consumption of 9 kilograms of milk
per annum by 2005, roughly 2 kilograms higher than in 2000," said
Fang Youshen, chairman of the China Milk Industry Association.
Fang maintained that the 2 kilogram increase will provide
tremendous opportunities for companies because China has a huge
population.
According to Fang, the world's consumption per capita was an
average of about 100 kilograms in 2000, a figure that was 205
kilograms in developed countries.
To
take advantage of these opportunities, China should introduce
advanced husbandry methods to increase the number of dairy cows and
promote the production of raw milk.
"Some giant dairy companies in China have sometimes encountered raw
milk shortages in recent years, which has been an obstacle in the
way of their development," Fang said.
China only has 4.7 million dairy cows at present and every cow
produces an average of 2 tons of milk per year, while each cow in
the United States produces about 8 tons every year, according to
Fang.
Dairy products are some of the best sources of calcium, Fang
said.
Scientists note that children aged 7 to 10 can get 60 percent of
the proteins they need every day by drinking 500 grams of milk a
day, as well as 75 percent of the calcium and vitamin B2 required
to stay in good health.
The Agro-Foodtech China 2001 fair, under the auspices of the
Ministry of Agriculture and organized by the Sub-Council for
Agriculture under the CCPIT and Exposium France, finished today in
Beijing.
(China Daily 04/26/2001)