Original Title: Notice from the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Issuing the "Ten Measures to Stabilize the Dairy and Beef Cattle Industry in Chongqing"
The dairy and beef cattle industry is a key sector for rural revitalization and increasing farmers’ income. Since the beginning of this year, market conditions for dairy and beef cattle have been sluggish, with prices for raw milk and live cattle continuing to decline. Most farming entities have suffered losses, severely dampening farmers’ enthusiasm. To stabilize the basic production capacity of the dairy and beef cattle industry, support the steady development of farming entities, ensure an effective supply of livestock products, and promote high-quality development of the industry, the following ten policy measures have been formulated.
I. General Requirements
We will fully implement the requirements of the “Notice on Promoting the Development of Dairy and Beef Cattle Production” (Nongmu Fa [2024] No. 16) issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and six other ministries, as well as the spirit of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs’ video conference on stabilizing dairy and beef cattle production. By focusing on policy and project support, financial and credit assistance, forage production guarantees, and disease risk prevention and control, we will enhance our capacity to provide support and improve market competitiveness. This will promote the high-quality and sustainable development of our city’s dairy and beef cattle industry,consolidate the achievements of poverty alleviation, and support rural revitalization.
II. Key Measures
(1) Stabilize Basic Production Capacity. Guide business entities to adjust their breeding structures, cull low-yielding cows, and retain high-quality breeding cows and high-yielding dairy cows to ensure high-quality production capacity and improve herd quality; strengthen breed improvement, leverage the advantages of local breeds, and enhance the development, protection, and utilization of local genetic resources; use high-quality frozen semen for artificial insemination to improve calf quality.
(2) Promote Project Implementation. Accelerate the implementation of projects such as interest subsidies for agricultural product processing and agricultural industrial chains (high-quality development of cattle and sheep) and the cultivation of new types of dairy business entities; disburse subsidy funds in a timely manner to alleviate the financial pressure on business entities. Seek support from integrated agricultural project funds and rural revitalization transition funds to support dairy and beef cattle production, mobilize the enthusiasm of business entities, stabilize income from cattle farming, and ensure that large-scale relapse into poverty does not occur.
(3) Secure Financial Support. Actively engage with banks and other financial institutions to lower loan thresholds, increase loan limits, extend loan terms, and implement rollover loans without principal repayment. Avoid arbitrary loan withdrawals or terminations, and promote the implementation of “live animal loans.” Encourage the development of diversified loan products such as “livestock housing loans,” “facility and equipment loans,” and “land management rights loans” to meet the financing needs of business entities. In conjunction with the actual operations of banks, reduce cost rates to lower financing costs.Encourage guarantee institutions, such as agricultural guarantee companies, to provide credit enhancement guarantees for business entities’ financing. Encourage insurance institutions to optimize and improve insurance products, launch pilot programs for “livestock income insurance” and “price insurance,” and enhance business entities’ risk-resilience.
(4) Ensure the supply of forage and feed. Strengthen the monitoring of forage and feed supply and demand, and organize effective coordination between production and sales.Steadily advance the grain-to-forage conversion initiative and actively develop artificial grass cultivation. Conduct demonstration and promotion of large-scale planting of high-quality artificial forage crops such as silage corn, forage sorghum, and ryegrass; research and develop supporting machinery and equipment to improve the automation level of forage production and increase the local supply of high-quality forage. Promote grass planting on fallow farmland and grass-crop rotation based on local conditions, and promote the use of crop straw as feed to reduce the cost of forage for livestock farming.
(5) Strengthen Disease Prevention and Control.Strengthen the animal disease prevention and control system and improve the disease prevention network at all levels. Conduct surveillance for key diseases, implement centralized vaccination and regular booster shots, strictly enforce disease reporting protocols, and promptly identify and address risks. Strictly implement harmless disposal measures to prevent the spread of diseases. Guide the development of disease-free zones and demonstration farms for animal disease eradication, accelerate the monitoring and eradication of major transmissible diseases in breeding farms and large-scale operations, and use these pilot projects to drive broader efforts, controlling animal disease risks at the source.
(6) Complete the Industrial Chain. Promote the development of modern agricultural industrial parks and industrial clusters; encourage standardized, large-scale farming; attract or cultivate deep-processing enterprises and supporting upstream and downstream businesses; actively extend, fill gaps in, and strengthen the industrial chain; develop high-quality, premium milk and beef products to enhance core competitiveness; and fully utilize by-products to increase the industry’s value-added.Expand production and sales channels through e-commerce and live-streaming platforms; encourage the development of a “production base + slaughterhouse + restaurant” marketing model; explore contract farming models; and promote the integration of production and sales.
(7) Build High-Quality Brands. Fully leverage the advantages of local milk and beef products, vigorously cultivate regional public brands, and strengthen brand promotion through various online and offline media channels. Continuously enhance brand awareness and influence, increase market share, and expand market presence.
(8) Expand consumption channels. Organize on-site tasting events at trade fairs, food festivals, and the Chinese Farmers’ Harvest Festival to stimulate market demand; actively assist livestock producers in connecting with the market, promoting the supply of milk and beef to institutional cafeterias, restaurants, and supermarkets; and encourage processed food and ready-to-cook meal enterprises to actively consume milk and beef products, thereby expanding market demand from multiple angles. Strengthen public education on milk and beef consumption and correct common misconceptions.
(9) Strengthen information monitoring. Improve production monitoring and early warning systems to track basic production data; use media and industry department websites to dynamically update information on market supply and demand as well as price fluctuations. Enhance analysis of the production situation for dairy and beef cattle, guide business entities to reasonably plan production, and formulate scientific breeding and sales plans to avoid blind herd culling or restocking driven by market trends, thereby effectively responding to market fluctuations.
(10) Strengthen technical support. Livestock authorities at all levels should enhance guidance and services through on-site instruction, training sessions, and remote technical support to help business entities improve production standards. Leverage technological achievements from universities and research institutes to promote cost-saving and efficiency-enhancing breeding techniques. Guide business entities to integrate crop cultivation with livestock farming, utilize manure locally, reduce breeding costs, and improve breeding efficiency.
III. Organizational Guarantees
(1) Strengthen Organizational Leadership. Enhance interdepartmental coordination and cooperation. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs shall closely collaborate with relevant departments such as development and reform, science and technology, finance, economic information, statistics, and market regulation to analyze industry development trends, conduct regular progress reviews and briefings, and jointly address difficulties and issues arising in the industry. All districts and counties shall establish corresponding coordination mechanisms, clarify functions and responsibilities, formulate specific measures, ensure the implementation of tasks, and jointly promote the steady progress of the dairy and beef cattle industry.
(2) Expand Policy Support. In collaboration with relevant departments, effectively implement policies regarding land use for breeding and farming, loan interest subsidies, and other measures, while promoting the expansion of coverage for policy-based insurance for dairy and beef cattle. All districts and counties should, based on local conditions, actively introduce supportive policies and promote proven best practices, using pilot projects to drive broader improvements and elevate the level of dairy and beef cattle farming.
(3) Strengthen Publicity and Guidance. All districts and counties must engage closely with dairy and beef cattle operators to intensify policy publicity and public opinion guidance. They should provide clear policy interpretations, guide operators in optimizing herd structures, strengthening feeding management, and developing integrated crop-livestock systems to reduce costs and improve efficiency. This will boost confidence in farming and promote the sustainable development of the industry.
