The Opinions on Accelerating the Cattle and Sheep Industry has been approved at the 42nd executive meeting of municipal government on Nov 12.

　　According to the Opinions, a target was set to accelerate an upgrade and giant promotion on Yichang livestock husbandry that in 2020 the city\'s number of cattles for sale will reach 300,000, and sheep, 3,000,000, milk production will reach 100,000 tons, cattle and sheep industry output value will amount to 10 billion yuan and an integrated output value will add up to 30 billion yuan.

　　A “Red Line” has been set for the innovation and development of cattle and sheep industry in Yichang, i.e. no deforestation in mountain areas, no encroachment on farming lands, no pollution and damage to the environment. Taking the eco-friendly, recycling, intensive and distinctive economy as its core, this way gives priority to ecology and environmental protection with the idea of an integrative development for the balance among cattle and sheep breeding, ecological protection and energy saving and emission reduction.

　　In accordance with the principles of less investment, quicker benefits, lighter pollution and larger profits, Yichang will mainly promote two breeding patterns of “family pastures with an annual income of ￥100,000 and specialized cooperatives with over 30 members”; it will focus on cultivating large-scale breeding enterprises with annual value of production over 1million yuan as well as building a number of standard model livestock farms at provincial-level and ministerial-level. By 2020, there will be 5,000 family pastures and 500 specialized cooperatives of breeding cattle and sheep and 500 breeding enterprises with each one\'s annual production value of over ￥1 million, and the proportion of large-scale breeding will reach 80%.

　　In accordance with the regional arrangement of "breeding cattle in the eastern area and sheep in the western area, and developing dairy industry in suburbs", main cattle -raising areas will be established in 20 towns within some county-level cities such as Yidu, Zhijiang, Dangyang, Yuan\'an county, Yiling district and other areas in the eastern part of Yichang; main sheep-raising areas will be built in 30 towns within Yidu county-level city, Xinshan county, Zigui county, Changyang and Wufeng Tujia Autonomous Counties, Yiling district and other areas in its western part of Yichang; main cow-raising areas will be established in 4 towns within Dangyang county-level city, Yiling district, Dianjun district and other areas. Furthermore, main production areas will be divided into breeding-conducive areas, general breeding areas and no-breeding areas. In addition, Yichang, in accordance with building National Food Safety Assured City, will establish a traceability system for beef and sheep product origins and a quality mark system so as to improve a whole-process traceability system where the source can be retrieved, the flow can be tracked, and the information can be found.

　　Since the livestock husbandry in Yichang, especially cattle and sheep industry, is still in its development stage, the municipal government puts forward an idea that in the next three years, agricultural special funds integrated by the municipal financial sector each year will be allocated to improve varieties, brand creation and scientific-problems tackling, moreover, in all the county-level cities, counties and districts with main producing areas, integration of agriculture-related funding should be supported every year.  (Reporter: Zheng Guanghua)