Xilin Water Buffalo

Xilin Water Buffalo

Xilin Water Buffalo is a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Xilin County is located at the junction of the borders of Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou provinces, boasting a unique geographical position described as “shouldering three provinces.” It was the site of the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Juting. In the fifth year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1666), Xilin County was established. In the late Qing and early Republican periods, the county produced three governors from one family. The breeding of Xilin water buffalo has a long history—buffaloes have been raised in Xilin County since several hundred years ago. According to the Tianxi County Annals from the Song Dynasty: “They drink wine and eat the meat of cattle, horses, and dogs,” and “prosperous families give more dowries, including maidservants, cattle, and horses…”. The ancient county annal “Xilongzhou Annals”—dating back to the fifth year of the Kangxi reign in the Qing Dynasty—already contained records of livestock such as horses, cattle, pigs, chickens, and ducks. Influenced by the local natural ecological environment and socio-economic activities, the Xilin water buffalo gradually took shape through long-term natural and artificial selection. Since 1980, Xilin County has continuously held evaluation exhibitions for Xilin water buffalo stud bulls, encouraging the ongoing improvement of high-quality breeding stock. In 1981, the Animal Husbandry Bureau of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region organized surveys and measurements of the Xilin water buffalo. In 1987, the Xilin water buffalo was listed as a local breed of Guangxi and recorded in the Guangxi Livestock and Poultry Breed Chronicles. From 1991 onward, the animal husbandry departments of Guangxi implemented a three-year project on the conservation and selective breeding of the Xilin water buffalo. In 2002, the Xilin water buffalo was included in the China's Famous and High-Quality Animal Husbandry Products Compilation. In 2011, it was listed in the Guangxi Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation Catalogue, and in 2012, it was awarded the status of a protected product with geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Production Area: Mainly produced in counties such as Xilin, Longlin, and Silin in our region.

　　Appearance Characteristics: The Xilin water buffalo is a plateau and mountain type buffalo, with a relatively tall body, a short face, a wide nose mirror, prominent withers, strong and powerful shoulders, well-developed hindquarters, and thick, sturdy limbs. Coat color: mostly gray-black, with a small number being white. Gray-black buffaloes often have one to two light-colored stripes on the throat and neck; some have white patches around both inner corners of the eyes and on both sides of the lower jaw. The limbs and lower abdomen are lighter in color, while the hooves and horns are gray-black. White buffaloes have lighter skin, with hooves and horns that are also gray-black; some white buffaloes have flesh-colored skin, hooves, and horns, and individual white buffaloes may even have wax-yellow horn tips.

　　Notable Characteristics:

　　1. Excellent working performance;

　　2. Strong reproductive capabilities. Estrus cycle ranges between 20–25 days, averaging 21.04 days. Female buffaloes are in heat year-round, with no seasonal restrictions.

　　3. When crossed with Murrah water buffaloes for three generations, the average milk yield over the lactation period is 2389±700.2 kg, with a maximum daily yield of 15.3 kg and an average milk fat percentage of 7.9%.

　　Current Status of Xilin Water Buffalo: Currently, there is one conservation farm in the main production areas. In Guangxi, it is primarily used as a crossbreeding dam line, hybridized with high-quality foreign breeds to improve the stock, transitioning its traditional dual-use for work and meat toward a dual-use for milk and meat.

　　Xilin Water Buffalo

　　Geographic Scope

　　Xilin Water Buffalo is produced in eight townships within Xilin County, including Nalao Township, Puhuo Township, Zubie Township, Nazuo Township, Xiping Township, Badu Town, Guzhang Town, and Mabang Township. The main production areas are Badu, Puhuo, Nalao, Nazuo, and Zubie townships. The geographical coordinates are: 104°29′–105°36′ east longitude, 24°1′–24°44′ north latitude. The protected area spans 3,020 square kilometers, with an annual population of over 56,000 buffaloes.