Xu Binling Postgraduate, Hunan University of Technology and Business
Huang Ruiqin, Postgraduate, New York University
Supervised by Dr. Zhang Ling, VP/Professor, Hunan University of Technology and Business
Director, Center for Sino-Africa Industrial Culture of Economy and Trade Projecting
Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County is located in the westernmost part of Hunan Province, on the Hunan-Guizhou border. It has a subtropical monsoon humid climate with four distinct seasons, abundant precipitation, and mild humidity. The county has a total area of 1,508 square kilometers, crisscrossed with large and small streams and rivers, dotted with springs, and covered with rolling hills. There are 1.2 million mu of natural pasture slopes in Xinhuang, where 110 families and 326 kinds of Chinese herbal plants grow. Yellow cattle here nibble on the natural herbal pasture, drink the spring water, and live in the natural oxygen bar. The superior ecological environment creates the tender and nutritious quality of Xinhuang cattle, earning Xinhuang the title of “China’s Hometown of Yellow Cattle”.
Xinhuang Flower Bridge (Photo by Peng Yunlong)
Xinhuang County (Photo by Jiang Lifang)
According to the resources from the books Livest Species Resource List, Annals of Huangzhou County – Customs and some other related archaeological books and information, Xinhuang yellow cattle is a strain of Wuling cattle, whose breeding history has been thousands of years. It is one of the best varieties of yellow cattle in south China. People of all ethnic groups within the territory love the cattle, respect the cattle, and are good at breeding the cattle.
Xinhuang Yellow Cattle (Photo by He Lihua)
According to historical records, Zhao Guangyi, the Emperor of Song Dynasty, was so impressed by the dried beef of Huang Prefecture presented to him as a tribute by local officials, which made Huang Prefecture Yellow Beef famous and gained the fame of golden meat on the grass slope. As time passing by, Xinhuang Yellow Cattle also has changed its names from the original Huang Prefecture Yellow Beef to Huang County Yellow Beef, and becomes Xinhuang Yellow Beef nowadays.
Xinhuang Yellow Cattle (Photo by He Lihua)
The Cattle has a medium size, short body, well-developed muscles, solid bones, elastic skin, and mainly yellow hair over the body. The average body height of male cattle is 123.7cm and its weight is 355.6kg, and has significant shoulder peaks. As for the female cattle, the body height is 109.9cm and weight is 259.8kg, and has long heads. Its flesh has a good quality with small amount of fat. Its muscle contains 74.13% of water, 25.87% of dry matter, 15.73% of protein, 1.30% of fat, and 1.24% of ash. The meat of Xinhuang yellow cattle is tender and contains vitamin B2 and B6, 16 kinds of amino acids and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese, which have high nutritional value.
Xinhuang Yellow Cattle Flesh (Photo by He Lihua)
The cultivation of Xinhuang yellow cattle follows strict quality standards and technical specifications, including the combination of pasturing and indoor stabling, the construction of standardized barns to provide a feasible living environment, and the scientific breeding of young livestock to ensure the healthy growing. Also, to ensure sufficient pasturing time is to guarantee the cattle enough movement, and to match carefully the fattening grass is to provide balanced nutrition for the cattle. The slaughtering and processing of Xinhuang Yellow Cattle has strict requirements as well, incorporating the procedure of stunning, bleeding, removing heads and hooves, skinning, removing internal organs, splitting in half, rinsing, ripening, boning and splitting, and cooling or freezing, etc. to ensure the quality of beef and food safety.
Xinhuang Yellow Cattle Beef (Photo by He Lihua)
In 2010, Xinhuang Yellow Cattle was awarded the title of National Geographical Indication Product and was included in the National List of Livestock and Poultry Hereditary Resources Protection Breeds. In 2016, it was selected as one of the Top Ten Agricultural Brands in Hunan. These honors have boosted its brand influence and brought development opportunities to Xinhuang County. Also in 2016 Xinhuang County was recognized as a National Geographical Indication Protection Demonstration Area for the excellence of its yellow cattle industry, thus consolidated Xinhuang yellow cattle’s position among other agricultural brands.
Products of Laocai Beef Co.Ltd (Photo by He Lihua)
With the implementation of the “Belt and Road” initiatives, the international sales channels of Xinhuang yellow cattle are expanding. Many enterprises, such as, Laocai Beef Co.Ltd, in Xinhuang County have been authorized with the import and export rights, and Xinhuang yellow cattle can be directly exported to the Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asian markets. Early in 2003, Xinhuang had more than 200 tons of beef jerky exported to Southeast Asia and the Middle East, with export earnings of more than 300,000 U.S. dollars, which shows that Xinhuang Yellow Cattle is very popular with overseas consumers.
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