Cloning is still a taboo in the world, but China is now resorting to this to answer for the lack of cattle that produces milk, with a region in the country already seeing calves born from the research. Its researchers claim that it will produce up to 50% more milk than average American cows, which could boost China's milk production.
The East Asian country heavily relies on importing cows for their needs, and the last year's research took it upon their hands to answer the shortage and avoid reliance on foreign cattle.
China is Now Cloning 'Super Cows' to Produce Milk
A report from Global Times, a state-owned news agency in China, researchers and scientists already witnessed the birth of its first cloned cows last month, after its research which took place last year. The Northwest University of Agricultural and Forestry Science and Technology in its Shaanxi region began the experiment last year after creating embryos they inserted to surrogate cows.
As per the report, the calves were born healthy and are akin to regular ones. The first calf weighed 120 pounds and stood 2' 6" feet tall when it was born.
The researchers also claimed that the cloned calves have the same body shape and patterns as their original ones, with not much of a difference.
The goal is to breed cloned cows that they may use to produce more milk for their country's needs. The researchers added that the 'Super Cows' may produce up to 18 tons of milk per year and 100 tons in their lifetime.
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'Super Cows' Capable of Producing More Milk
According to CBS News, the team's experiment centers on producing more milk than average cows and has an abundant cattle resource for its country's needs.
The research also centered on cloning Holstein Friesian cows from the Dutch, one capable of producing a "higher than average" amount of milk. China is currently importing as much as 70% of its dairy cows to fill its needs, having massive dependence on imports.
Studies on Cloning Animals
Cloning is not a new thing anymore, and this has been a practice since the early 20th century where researchers aim to create a living organism using only cells to bear an animal. While there are different reasons for cloning, one British couple in 2016 resorted to cloning their previously departed pet dog to have another chance at life with them.
This research in China is not a new thing anymore, as in 2021, research from Russia successfully cloned cows and produced a calf that could deliver hypoallergenic milk. In the process, the researchers used gene altering to edit out the protein beta-lactoglobulin in cow's milk that causes humans to be lactose intolerant.
There is a shortage in the world, and apart from that, China no longer wants to rely on imports, so it took it upon its hands to "play God" and create cows out of Petri dishes to be surrogated from real ones. The team already saw the birth of its calves that are now living and breathing, soon to bring milk to its country for its need of dairy.
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