Buffaloes

Buffaloes

　　Lingshan County has consistently developed the water buffalo dairy industry as a distinctive and advantageous sector, adhering to supportive policies and adopting effective measures to guide and enhance services. In 2006, the county had a total of 13,782 dairy buffaloes, exported 14,977 dairy buffaloes, produced 1,984 tons of fresh water buffalo milk, and achieved a dairy buffalo milk industry output value of 82.424 million yuan. From dairy buffalo farming alone, the per capita net income of farmers reached 4,933 yuan, accounting for 67% of the per capita net income of dairy farmers. Tax revenue generated from beef cattle and milk processing reached 4.12 million yuan. Following its recognition in 2003 as China’s only “Hometown of Water Buffalo Dairy in China,” in June 2006 the county’s water buffalo dairy industry was awarded the Second Prize for Emerging Advantageous Agricultural Industry Development in the region.

　　 　　Breed Improvement Initiates a Boom in Water Buffalo Dairy Development

　　 　　In 1996 and 1999, Lingshan County successively undertook the “National Straw-Feeding Cattle Demonstration Project” and the “International China-EU Water Buffalo Development Project.” The crossbred dairy buffaloes bred through hybrid improvement in the county exhibited advantages such as larger size, greater strength, higher meat yield, and increased milk production, leading to a situation where crossbred buffaloes were in high demand both within and outside Guangxi. As a result, the county seized breed improvement as a breakthrough point to accelerate the development of the dairy buffalo industry. It introduced 115 purebred Murrah and Nili-Ravi bulls, established 35 artificial insemination stations, and formed a three-tier breeding network at the county, town, and village levels. By combining artificial insemination with natural breeding, the county vigorously promoted cattle breed improvement. In 2006, the artificial insemination conception rate of water buffaloes in the county reached 55.8%, ranking among the top in all counties and cities in the region. Since 1999, Lingshan County has conducted hybrid breeding for 130,000 female water buffaloes, producing 94,000 crossbred buffaloes, providing a steady supply of cattle for the development of the dairy buffalo industry in Lingshan and even Guangxi.

　　 　　Association Guidance Ensures Smooth Production and Sales Channels for Dairy Buffaloes

　　 　　To further accelerate the development of the dairy buffalo industry, in accordance with the management principles of “run by the people, managed by the people, and benefiting the people,” the Lingshan County government guided and supported the establishment of the Dairy Buffalo Farming Association in Wenli Town in 2001. After several years of development, the association has grown to 192 members, established one milk collection station and one training center, with fixed assets totaling 360,000 yuan. The association guides and encourages farmers to connect with leading enterprises, actively developing an industrialized model of “leading enterprise + association + farmers.” The association helps establish high-quality milk source production bases for leading enterprises, while the enterprises rely on their brand, information, and sales channel advantages to provide services to the association and farmers. Leveraging its strengths in technology, service, and information, the association also organizes scattered dairy farmers to provide socialized services such as raw milk collection, sales, storage and transport, personnel training, disease prevention, and breeding of superior breeds for dairy buffalo farmers. Under the organization and guidance of the association, in 2006, the number of dairy buffalo farming households in Wenli Town grew to 1,653, with 4,621 crossbred buffaloes, producing 1,086 tons of milk and selling 5,687 crossbred buffaloes, generating total income of 32.072 million yuan. The average income per farming household reached 19,000 yuan, with major farmers such as Ding Xuanbao, Yuan Yezhong, Wu Xi’ai, and Ding Daxin earning annual net incomes exceeding 50,000 yuan. In 2004, the Wenli Town Dairy Buffalo Farming Association was awarded the titles “Star of Rural Economic Cooperatives in Guangxi” and “National Advanced Civil Organization,” becoming the only township-level rural economic association in Guangxi to receive such honors.

　　 　　Public-Private Interaction Achieves Mutual Benefits

　　 　　In 2003, Lingshan County successfully introduced Baiqiang Water Buffalo Dairy Co., Ltd. through investment attraction. This comprehensive private enterprise integrates water buffalo farming, dairy product development, production, and sales. Leveraging its advantages in capital, technology, market, and management, the company actively recruited dairy farmers to join Baiqiang, forming a business model of “company + base (community) + farmers.” The public and private sectors signed fresh milk purchase contracts, enabling contract-based production and forming a community of shared risks and benefits. Now, dairy farmers deliver milk to collection stations daily, and the company directly deposits monthly milk payments into dedicated accounts for each farmer at the rural credit cooperatives. Farmers then collect their payments from the credit cooperatives monthly. The per capita pure income from raising each dairy buffalo rose from over 2,000 yuan in 2000 to 3,700 yuan in 2006, nearly doubling.