A group of scientists in China announced they have successfully cloned three 'super cow' cubs. It is called super, because when it becomes an adult, this cow is claimed to be able to produce 50% more milk than the average cow in the United States (US).
Cloning experiments began last year at Northwest University of Agricultural and Forestry Science and Technology in Shaanxi, China. The scientists took tissue samples from cows across China and used the so-called somatic cell nuclear transfer method to create embryos which were then placed in surrogate cows.
Quoted from CBS, the calf was born healthy last month in the city of Lingwu. The first calf born weighed 54kg and was 60cm tall. These calves have the same shape and skin pattern as the cows they were raised on.
By comparison, the average US cow produces nearly 12 tons of milk per year, according to US Department of Agriculture data. Officials from the US Food and Drug Administration say meat and milk from cloned cows are as safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals.
Holstein Friesian cattle
The super cow was created using Friesian Holstein cows, a Dutch breed known for producing higher than average amounts of milk.
This is not the first time Chinese scientists have successfully cloned animals. Chinese scientists made headlines last year for their success in cloning the world's first Arctic wolf. The super cow cloning trial was hailed as another important breakthrough by the researchers, especially considering the fact that China is heavily dependent on imported cattle.
The increasing demand for milk and cheese has made China import around 70% of its dairy cows from other countries. The country has about 6.6 million Holstein Friesian cows in the country, but only five out of every 10,000 cows are actually capable of producing large amounts of milk.
Yaping Jin, a bovine veterinarian at Northwest A&F who led the trial, said cloning would help revitalize China's agricultural sector. Jin said his team's experiment resulted in more than 100 cloned embryos that were implanted into surrogate mothers with a pregnancy rate of about 18% after 200 days.
Jin added that the newborn calves will be used as the basis for a larger herd of super cows.
"We plan to take two to three years to build a herd of more than 1,000 super cows, as a solid foundation for overcoming China's dependence on overseas dairy cattle," he said.