Summary of China Sheep Industry

Introduction of China sheep industry
The population of in-stock sheep in the year 2006 was 369 million, where some 329 million were slaughtered, the slaughter rate was 88.5%. Compare with the year 2001, increased 23.7%, 51.77% and 13.7% respectively. Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Henan, Shandong and Hebei are the main sheep and goat production areas in China which account for 51.3% of national total in-stock sheep and 58.74% for slaughtering.

China is extraordinary rich in breeding resources of meat, cashmere, wool, milk, fur purpose sheep and goat like small-tails Han sheep, ujimqin goats, Inner Mongolia Cashmere goats, Liaoning cashmere goats, Xinjiang fine-wool sheep, Northeast fine-wool sheep, Saanen goat, Guanzhong goat, Zhongwei goat as well as tan goat.

Import and export trade
Mutton imported mainly from New Zealand and Australia for the past few years, accounting for 98.97% of the total importation. Main export destinations and regions are Middle East like Saudi-Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Libya and Hong Kong, which accounted for 68.95% of the total export. Shandong, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Beijing and Hunan are the main export provinces.