China has successfully cloned “super cows” that produce twice as much milk as regular cows. The country plans to breed a large herd of these cows in the coming years to reduce its dependence on milk imports. Scientists from the Northwestern University of Agricultural and Forestry Science and Technology (NWAFU) have cloned these cows, which are expected to produce about 18 tons of milk per year. This is about 1.7 times the amount of milk produced by an average cow in the United States. The first cloned cows were born in December 2022.
China currently relies heavily on milk imports, and this new development could help the country become self-sufficient in milk production. The cloned cows were created by taking cells from the ears of Holstein cows, which are known for their high milk production. The scientists then created 120 clones from these genes, but only three were successfully carried to term. The cloned cows are expected to produce about 100 tons of milk in their lifetime, which is a significant increase compared to the average cow in China.
The scientists plan to increase the number of cloned cows to over 1,000 in the next two to three years. This will provide a solid foundation for China to reduce its dependence on milk imports and mitigate the risk of supply chain disruptions. The country currently imports about 70% of its milk, and this new development could help reduce this figure significantly. The cloned cows are expected to be a game-changer for China’s dairy industry, and the country is poised to become a major player in the global milk market.
