Xiangxi Yellow Cattle

Xiangxi Yellow Cattle

Xiangxi Yellow Cattle is a geographical indication certification trademark.

Xiangxi Yellow Cattle is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Xiangxi Yellow Cattle are primarily raised in the northwestern region of Xiangxi, Hunan Province. They have a gentle temperament, are tolerant of coarse feed and heat, and have a medium build with well-proportioned development. Their forequarters are slightly higher, featuring well-developed muscles and sturdy bones, high withers, a short and small head, a broad forehead, and varied horn shapes. They have a long and slender neck with large dewlaps, a well-developed chest, a straight back and loin, and well-developed muscles in the waist and rump. Their tails are long and thin, with clearly defined and strong tendons on their limbs. Their coat color is generally yellow or brown. Adult bulls average 334.3 kg in weight, while cows average 240.2 kg. The slaughter rate is 39–54.4%, and the net meat yield is 46.87%.

　　Primarily raised in the northwestern region of Xiangxi, Hunan Province, Xiangxi Yellow Cattle have a gentle temperament, are tolerant of coarse feed and heat, and have a medium build with well-proportioned development. Their forequarters are slightly higher, featuring well-developed muscles and sturdy bones, high withers, a short and small head, a broad forehead, and varied horn shapes. They have a long and slender neck with large dewlaps, a well-developed chest, a straight back and loin, and well-developed muscles in the waist and rump. Their tails are long and thin, with clearly defined and strong tendons on their limbs. Their coat color is generally yellow or brown. Adult bulls average 334.3 kg in weight, while cows average 240.2 kg. The slaughter rate is 39–54.4%, and the net meat yield is 46.87%.

　　Origin and Environment

　　Xiangxi Yellow Cattle are produced in the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture and Cili County of Hunan Province, as well as parts of Shimen, Taoyuan, Yuanling, Chenxi, Mayang, Zhijiang, and Xinhuang counties. The main production areas are Fenghuang, Huayuan, Dayong, Sangzhi, Yongshun, and Cili counties. These areas are located at the northeastern edge of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, bordering eastern Guizhou to the southwest, adjacent to Sichuan and Hubei to the northwest, shielded by the western ranges of the Snow Mountain Range to the southeast, and extending to the lower reaches of the Lishui River to the northeast. The region lies between 109°14′–111°36′ east longitude and 27°32′–29°44′ north latitude. It is traversed by the Wuling Mountain Range, featuring steep mountainous terrain interspersed with small basins and hills. The highest elevation reaches 1,890 meters, while the lowest is 82 meters. The Lishui and northern tributaries of the Yuanjiang rivers run through the area, flowing northeast into Dongting Lake. The climate is mild with distinct seasons, classified as subtropical monsoon. The annual average temperature is 16.1–16.8°C, with a frost-free period of 240–270 days and annual precipitation of 1,300–1,800 mm. However, the complex terrain leads to the formation of various microclimates. The mountainous regions of the production area feature yellow soil with relatively good fertility, the lower hills have yellow-brown soil, and the hills and basins mostly consist of red soil and purple soil. Under these ecological conditions, subtropical plants thrive well, and the forest coverage rate is 34%. Grassland resources are abundant, with approximately 14 million mu of grassy mountains in the area. Among them, grasslands such as mountainous grass clusters, sparse forest grass clusters, and mountain meadows are dominated by gramineous plants, accounting for 59.6%. The main types of forage include winter grass, wild cogon grass, digitaria, signalgrass, and fine-stem grass. Leguminous forage makes up 21.7%, while the rest consists of various types such as composites and polygonaceae. The area features more mountains than flatlands, with a sparse population spread over vast land. The total cultivated land area is 4.1 million mu, of which 30.9% is dry land. There are many terraced fields and sloping lands, resulting in poor production conditions and extensive farming practices. The main crops are rice and corn, followed by wheat, sweet potatoes, soybeans, potatoes, buckwheat, sorghum, as well as peanuts, sesame, tobacco leaves, and sugarcane. Among the grain yield, rice accounts for 60%, and coarse grains for 40%.

　　Geographic Scope

　　The Xiangxi Yellow Cattle production area in the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is located in the central part of the Wuling Mountain Range on the western edge of Hunan Province. It borders Yongding District of Zhangjiajie to the north, connects with Yuanling and Chenxi counties of Huaihua City to the east, neighbors Mayang County of Huaihua City to the south, and borders Tongren of Guizhou, Chongqing, Xiushan, and Youyang to the west. It lies between 109°10′–110°55′ east longitude and 27°44′–29°47′ north latitude. Xiangxi Yellow Cattle are mainly distributed in counties such as Fenghuang, Yongshun, Huayuan, Longshan, Jishou, Luxi, Guzhang, and Baojing within the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture of Hunan Province, with scattered distribution in central and southern Hunan as well as western Hubei and Qianjiang District of Chongqing and Tongren Prefecture of Guizhou. In April 1982, a meeting for the identification of superior cattle breeds was held in Fenghuang County by six southern provinces of China, which designated the Liubao Township in the La'er Mountain area of Fenghuang County as the core production area of Xiangxi Yellow Cattle, followed by Hemu and Miliang townships in Fenghuang County. In May 2007, with approval from the Ministry of Agriculture, the conservation area for Xiangxi Yellow Cattle was established in the La'er Mountain area of Fenghuang County. Currently, the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture has a population of 260,243 Xiangxi Yellow Cattle, including 149,798 bulls, 103,534 cows, and 6,911 castrated cattle, with a production output of 30,000 tons.