Qingjiang Meat Sheep

Qingjiang Meat Sheep

　　Changyang Tujia Autonomous County is the core production area of the "Yichang White Goat" and boasts the largest natural grassland in Central and South China, with 530,000 mu of developable grassland and high livestock capacity. In 1997, Changyang was included as one of the project counties for the national "Qingjiang River Basin Commercial Meat Sheep Production Base." Over the past five years, both the scale and profitability of goat breeding in the county have significantly improved. In 2002, the total number of goats raised reached 309,000, with 170,500 slaughtered, generating an income of 30.12 million yuan.

　　 By introducing Boer goats from New Zealand and crossbreeding them with local white goats, the distinctive Qingjiang Meat Sheep were developed, characterized by strong growth advantages. Boer goats are known for their strong adaptability, fast growth rate, large body size, and high-quality meat. To date, the county has introduced 25 purebred Boer goats and established 25 artificial insemination stations.

　　 The development of forage planting and pen-based goat farming has provided the necessary conditions for large-scale goat production. Traditional goat farming relied mainly on grazing, but as the goat population grew, mountain vegetation suffered damage and the environment was affected. After research, drought-resistant Napier grass (producing up to 5 tons per mu, enough to feed 10 goats) was introduced from Sichuan, along with the promotion of silage pits and pen-based goat housing, which proved successful. To date, the county has planted 10,000 mu of Napier grass, built 20,000 cubic meters of silage pits, and constructed 180,000 square meters of goat pens.

　　 Investment was attracted to establish the "Hubei Changyang Qingjiang Meat Sheep Food Development Co., Ltd.," which also undertook the national Spark Program project "Changyang Qingjiang Meat Sheep Processing Technology Development." This addressed the previous issue of locally raised goats being sold live directly to cities like Guangzhou, and filled the gap in meat sheep product processing in Yichang City. In 2001, the company introduced lamb production technology from Xi’an Tongjia Food Co., Ltd., producing key products such as hot pot lamb, lamb skewers, braised lamb heads, and lamb trotters, as well as a series of sheepskin products. In 2002, the company further introduced production lines for lamb, beef brisket, spiced eggs, and chicken wings from Wenzhou Lao Lijia Food Co., Ltd. in Zhejiang. Currently, the company has the capacity to process 30,000 meat sheep and produce 70,000 boxes of cooked meat products annually.

　　Three Gorges Changyang Network