Smart Technology Drives Dairy Production in Northwest China
Source: DairyNews.today
The dairy industry in northwest China is undergoing a significant transformation, powered by advanced technology and innovative breeding practices. In Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, a groundbreaking development has taken place on a farm operated by Ningxia Saishang Muyuan Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd., where three cloned cows, born just before the 2023 Spring Festival, are thriving.
These cows, the result of cutting-edge cloning technology, represent a major leap forward in the region’s quest for high-yield dairy cattle.
Wang Bingke, a doctoral student in veterinary medicine at Northwest A&F University, explained the significance of this achievement. “Around 70 percent of China’s high-quality dairy cattle breeds are imported,” Wang noted. When his research team identified a Holstein cow capable of producing over 18 tonnes of milk annually, they recognized the opportunity to reduce reliance on imports by cloning this high-yield animal. The success of the cloned calves is expected to promote the regeneration and expansion of superior dairy cows, creating a robust, high-yield breeding population within China.
Ningxia’s unique geographical location at a latitude of 38 degrees north, known as the “golden milk source belt,” offers ideal climatic conditions for dairy farming. The region is capitalizing on these natural advantages by focusing on breeding high-quality cattle, standardizing large-scale farming practices, and establishing premium forage bases. These efforts are driving the local dairy industry toward a future that is not only more productive but also greener and more technologically advanced.
One of the key innovations at Saishang Muyuan is the introduction of a high-tech milking carousel. This state-of-the-art system, equipped with two BouMatic carousel milking machines, each featuring 80 stations, allows hundreds of cows to be milked efficiently. “Each cow on the carousel is automatically identified by its ID code, and the milk yield per session and cumulative daily yield are displayed on a computer screen in different colors,” explained Zhou Shuai, the farm manager. The entire milking process is completed with remarkable precision, with each rotation taking an average of just 2 minutes and 45 seconds.
Ningxia’s dairy industry is already a key player in China, with 920,000 dairy cows producing 4.3 million tonnes of fresh milk in 2023. The region has ambitious plans to increase these figures to 1.1 million dairy cows and 5.5 million tonnes of fresh milk by 2025, aiming for a total industrial chain output value of 100 billion yuan (approximately 14 billion U.S. dollars).
Further bolstering this growth, Chinese dairy giant Mengniu Dairy has partnered with local authorities in Ningxia’s Yinchuan and Lingwu cities to construct the world’s largest liquid milk factory. Once fully operational, the factory will feature 24 advanced high-speed production lines capable of producing 1 million tonnes of milk annually. Remarkably, this massive operation will be managed by a staff of just 100, thanks to the factory’s full automation system.
Visitors to the Mengniu factory can observe the entire production process through glass walls, witnessing a highly efficient operation where robots and mechanical arms handle everything from filling to packing and sealing, all with minimal human intervention. “It’s like giving the factory a smart brain,” said Yuan Jiuzheng, director of intelligent manufacturing at Mengniu Dairy, referring to the facility’s advanced automation capabilities, which allow the entire production process to be initiated with a single click from the control room.
As Ningxia continues to innovate and invest in smart technology, the region is poised to become a leader in China’s dairy industry, driving high-quality production and setting new standards for efficiency and sustainability.
Wang Bingke, a doctoral student in veterinary medicine at Northwest A&F University, explained the significance of this achievement. “Around 70 percent of China’s high-quality dairy cattle breeds are imported,” Wang noted. When his research team identified a Holstein cow capable of producing over 18 tonnes of milk annually, they recognized the opportunity to reduce reliance on imports by cloning this high-yield animal. The success of the cloned calves is expected to promote the regeneration and expansion of superior dairy cows, creating a robust, high-yield breeding population within China.
Ningxia’s unique geographical location at a latitude of 38 degrees north, known as the “golden milk source belt,” offers ideal climatic conditions for dairy farming. The region is capitalizing on these natural advantages by focusing on breeding high-quality cattle, standardizing large-scale farming practices, and establishing premium forage bases. These efforts are driving the local dairy industry toward a future that is not only more productive but also greener and more technologically advanced.
One of the key innovations at Saishang Muyuan is the introduction of a high-tech milking carousel. This state-of-the-art system, equipped with two BouMatic carousel milking machines, each featuring 80 stations, allows hundreds of cows to be milked efficiently. “Each cow on the carousel is automatically identified by its ID code, and the milk yield per session and cumulative daily yield are displayed on a computer screen in different colors,” explained Zhou Shuai, the farm manager. The entire milking process is completed with remarkable precision, with each rotation taking an average of just 2 minutes and 45 seconds.
Ningxia’s dairy industry is already a key player in China, with 920,000 dairy cows producing 4.3 million tonnes of fresh milk in 2023. The region has ambitious plans to increase these figures to 1.1 million dairy cows and 5.5 million tonnes of fresh milk by 2025, aiming for a total industrial chain output value of 100 billion yuan (approximately 14 billion U.S. dollars).
Further bolstering this growth, Chinese dairy giant Mengniu Dairy has partnered with local authorities in Ningxia’s Yinchuan and Lingwu cities to construct the world’s largest liquid milk factory. Once fully operational, the factory will feature 24 advanced high-speed production lines capable of producing 1 million tonnes of milk annually. Remarkably, this massive operation will be managed by a staff of just 100, thanks to the factory’s full automation system.
Visitors to the Mengniu factory can observe the entire production process through glass walls, witnessing a highly efficient operation where robots and mechanical arms handle everything from filling to packing and sealing, all with minimal human intervention. “It’s like giving the factory a smart brain,” said Yuan Jiuzheng, director of intelligent manufacturing at Mengniu Dairy, referring to the facility’s advanced automation capabilities, which allow the entire production process to be initiated with a single click from the control room.
As Ningxia continues to innovate and invest in smart technology, the region is poised to become a leader in China’s dairy industry, driving high-quality production and setting new standards for efficiency and sustainability.
