Taiwan to Start Breeding Angus Cattle

TAIWAN - Beef cattle farmers in Taiwan have recently introduced a popular breed of pure beef cattle into the country, in the hope of strengthening the local beef industry, an agriculture official said Wednesday.
calendar icon 20 July 2017
clock icon 1 minute read

It is hoped that Taiwan can begin commercial production of Angus beef five years from now, after more than 200 head were brought into the country for breeding in April, according to Wang Chung-shu, deputy head of the Council of Agriculture's Department of Animal Industry.

By that time, at least 5 per cent of domestic beef supplies are expected to come from the Angus cattle, Mr Wang said.

According to Focus Taiwan, he noted that the local beef industry currently produces only 6 per cent of domestic beef demand, with the remaining 94 per cent relying on imports.

Of the 34,074 head of domestic cattle slaughtered for meat in 2016, 55 per cent were dairy bulls, 35 per cent were retired dairy cows, and 10 per cent were working cattle such as yellow cattle and buffalo, he said.

However, meat accounts for only some 30 per cent of the carcasses of dairy and working cattle, far less than the 42 per cent of pure beef cattle, he said.

There is therefore a need to breed more beef cattle domestically, he added.

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