Sika deer

Sika deer

Sika deer is a product protected under the Geographical Indication system.

　　Dongliao County in Liaoyuan City, Jilin Province, is located on the foothills of the Changbai Mountain Range. Covering an area of 1,665 square kilometers with a total population of over 700,000, it is the largest county-level division in Liaoyuan City. The region boasts picturesque landscapes with rolling mountains in the north and south, dense forests, secluded stone springs, as well as crisscrossing rivers and well-planned fields in the central and western plains. The deer call out in the distance.

Dongliao County has a long history of deer farming, spanning more than 300 years. Currently, the county is home to 8 large state-owned deer farms, 15 collective deer farms, and 3,500 individual deer breeders. The total deer population stands at 20,000, with an annual production of 18,000 jin (approximately 9 metric tons) of deer antler, generating export earnings of 4 million US dollars. The county leads all other counties (or cities) in China in five key metrics: total deer population, total deer antler output, per capita output, high-quality antler rate, and export earnings.

In 1995, during the evaluation of China’s Top 100 Specialty Product Hometowns, Dongliao County was named the only “Hometown of Chinese Sika Deer” in the nation.

The sika deer from Dongliao County is the world’s first standardized breed of deer developed by local scientific and technical personnel. It features desirable traits such as high yield, premium quality, early maturity, strong adaptability to coarse feed, resilience, and genetic stability. Its antlers have large, branching tines with tender and loose texture; they are also rich in active ingredients. The average annual yield reaches around 3 kilograms for red deer and about 1.5 kilograms (dry weight) for sika deer. The breed enjoys a high reputation both domestically and internationally. Dongliao sika deer antlers were once awarded the “Gold Award for Export” by the Ministry of Foreign Trade.