Why China is awash in unwanted milk
Dairy farmers are dumping the stuff, as some call for culling cows
Milk is “indispensable for a healthy China and a strong nation”. So said officials in 2018 when they launched a campaign to supercharge the country’s dairy industry. They wanted to boost China’s food security by cutting its reliance on imported milk. At the same time, they hoped that the Chinese would become fitter by consuming more dairy products, which are rich in protein and calcium. Officials gave farmers subsidies to increase their herds of cows. They urged state propagandists to “nurture the habit of consuming dairy products”.
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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Udder pressure”
From the October 5th 2024 edition
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