Intl prataculture conference in Hohhot highlights grass industry expansion

On July 13, at the Chilechuan International Prataculture Conference, it was announced that Hohhot has established 1.45 million mu (6,667 hectares) of high-quality forage base in 2023, with plans to expand to 1.6 million mu this year.

This will provide 4 million metric tons of forage, maintaining a self-sufficiency rate of over 80 percent. Additionally, 1.7 million mu of saline-alkali land will be converted into forage bases, aiming for over 3 million mu by 2025.

Inner Mongolia, holding 27.2 percent of China's grasslands, has made significant strides with 265,000 mu of grass seed breeding bases and an annual production of 5 million kilograms of seeds. The region's artificial forage planting covers 21.72 million mu, yielding 75.43 million tons of forage, valued at 80.21 billion yuan ($11.04 million), leading the nation.

Hohhot has harnessed its resources to advance from forage to dairy production, fostering over 300 grass enterprises. In 2023, the city's forestry and grass output reached 8.5 billion yuan, a 2.58-fold increase from 2022, expected to exceed 10 billion yuan this year.

Support policies include a "grass-livestock integration" incentive mechanism and 200 million yuan in forage planting subsidies for 2023. Hohhot aims to leverage the National Grass Industry Technology Innovation Center to achieve international standards and provide a model for China's ecological development.