Jilin People's Government hosts a press conference on the implementation of the "Straw to Meat" Project and the Beef Cattle Project in Changchun, April 13. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The implementation of both the "Straw to Meat" Project and the Beef Cattle Project has been discussed at a press conference held in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin province, on April 13, according to local media reports.

Jilin province is a large agricultural province with an annual output of more than 40 million metric tons of crop straw. It has long been a valuable resource for farmers' production and livelihoods and for the development of animal husbandry.

In recent years, the random discarding and burning of straw has become a serious phenomenon, which has brought with it a series of environmental problems.

Speeding up the utilization of straw for feed, developing herbivorous animal husbandry, and converting straw into meat and milk are of great significance for solving the environmental pollution caused by straw burning and helping black soil protection, as well as for economic development.

On Oct 16, 2020, the provincial government issued the "Implementation Plan for the 'Straw to Meat' Project in Jilin Province".

The plan clarified that, with the support of the development of the four major industries of beef cattle, mutton sheep, dairy cows and sika deer, a straw feed industry cluster will be established and a circular economy of agriculture and animal husbandry will be developed.

Jilin is an important beef cattle producing area in the country, and its total scale of beef cattle production, its quality standards, and the development of its provenance are all at a leading level.

By 2025, the number of the province's beef cattle will grow to 7 million, and by the time of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), the number will stand at 10 million.