China Mengniu Dairy Co Ltd, one of China's leading dairy producers, has upped its corporate social responsibility game by providing free training to ranchers who supply raw milk to the company.

The training program - Ranchers University - started in 2014 and has provided free training in scientific cattle breeding and feeding to roughly 3,500 ranchers, according to the company.

More than 800 cattle ranches have benefited from the technological support from Mengniu which sent 150 professionals from home and abroad to give on-site instruction.

Tang Yiguo, a rancher in East China's Anhui province who has raised cattle for 21 years, said his ranch has developed faster since he started cooperating with Mengniu.

Tang said: "Since 2004, Mengniu has been giving guidance on cattle breeding. Its strict quality inspection system has made my ranch's milk better."

Zhong Hongwu, head of the CSR research center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said: "The training program used Mengniu's technological advances to help the development of the cattle ranches. It's an innovative way of performing social responsibilities."

Mengniu has integrated social responsibilities into its routine operation and management.

"Fulfilling corporate social responsibilities has become one of Mengniu's key strategies, in an aim to deliver care for people in need," Lu Minfang, president of Mengniu, said last month when he was awarded the honor 'Asian Outstanding Corporate Leader' in Hong Kong for social care schemes.

According to a report on Chinese Enterprises Corporation Social Responsibilities (2016), Mengniu ranked first among all Chinese dairy producers.

The company slogan is 'A little happiness matters.' Mengniu performs its social responsibilities in the areas of food safety, low-carbon development, employee care and social care.

In the past five years, Mengniu invited nearly a hundred celebrities, university students and teachers to give speeches at more than 600 schools in the country's rural areas, aiming to inspire students with confidence and enthusiasm for study and life.

Last month, the company announced it would donate 4.8 million cartons of milk to rural schools in a hundred counties in 22 provinces across the country.

yuanhui@chinadaily.com.cn