Fengdu -- Building on Its History

Beef: A Symbol of Fengdu's Future

    "East or west, home is the best." This proverb is often heard in Fengdu. Li Xinfa, a 30-something native of Fengdu, left his hometown to work as a migrant worker many years ago. Last year he decided to return to his hometown and rear two dozen beef cattle. "The county government is responsible for supporting breeding technology and marketing; we don't have to worry about these problems and can focus on raising the cattle."

     Famous for longan, grapefruit, soy cheese, and many more produces, today Fengdu County's main industries are beef cattle, bamboo products, fruits and vegetables, silkworm and tobacco. Of these, beef cattle have long been a pillar of agriculture in the county. Abundant corn, rice and forage grass give Fengdu a natural advantage for beef rearing. Its beef stocks and sales have always been the highest in Chongqing, but until now Fengdu beef had not carved a niche in the market for its own brand name.  

     At the end of 2008, the county government made the decision to encourage the development of the beef cattle industry and build Fengdu into one of southern China's major production bases. A series of supporting policies in finance and technology have been launched and the county applied for "Fengdu beef cattle" as a national registered trademark. Yang Honglin, deputy director of Fengdu Animal Husbandry Bureau, tells us that of the 180,000 farmers in Fengdu, 52,00 are engaged in rearing this form of livestock. The Animal Husbandry Bureau set a goal to increase this figure to 90,000.   

     In 2010, to increase income for farmers the county formed an integrated industrial chain that encompasses pasture planting, feed processing, cattle raising, trading and slaughtering, the processing and sale of beef products, and excrement recycling. Beef enterprises have become the eminent feature in Fengdu's business world. Of the 35 enterprises engaged in beef industry in Fengdu, 12 report an annual production value of over RMB 600 million.  

    Established in February 2009, Chongqing Hondo Beef Co., Ltd. imported world-class beef cattle slaughtering and processing facilities from the U.S., Germany and the Netherlands, building a product line with an annual capacity of 100,000 cattle. Each cow is worth RMB 30,000 on average after intensive processing. The beef cattle on its farm enjoy the many benefits of progressive cattle-rearing such as massages, listening to music and drinking beer. When experts from Hong Kong inspected five large-scale beef cattle companies on the mainland last July, the head of Hondo Company's breeding division was very confident: "Surely our unique methods of raising cattle will make us stand out as the very best producers." During the butchering process, Hondo Company uses low-temperature acid elimination technology and international beef cutting standards for their meat. It produces more than 100 kinds of quality beef products.

    During the 12th Five-year Plan period (2011-2015), Hondo Company is determined to increase its annual production value to RMB 4 billion and grow into one of China's leading agribusinesses. A number of other beef production outfits other than Hondo Company will be launched to complete Fengdu's beef cattle industry and continue the growth that it has achieved in recent years.