China successfully clones a large number of high-yield dairy goats

Xi’an (ANTARA) - Chinese scientists have successfully cloned six high-yield dairy goats in Shaanxi province, China, marking the country’s first large-scale cloning of these animals and a major breakthrough in dairy goat breeding technology.

The cloning project was led by a research team from Northwest A&F University.

The cloned goats, consisting of four males and two females, were bred from superior Saanen goats known for their high milk production, with an average annual milk yield exceeding 2,800 kilograms, Wang Xiaolong, the head of the research team, told Xinhua on Thursday (May 14).

The donor goats also exhibited significantly better milk fat and protein levels than ordinary goats, as well as stable reproductive performance, strong environmental adaptability, and good disease resistance.

By utilising an advanced molecular breeding system that integrates genomic selection and somatic cell cloning, the team precisely isolated high-quality somatic cells and optimised the entire process, from cell line formation and embryo reconstruction to embryo transfer and pregnancy monitoring, ultimately achieving successful large-scale cloning.

Compared to traditional breeding methods, which typically take eight to 10 years to produce a population of superior goats, cloning technology can significantly shorten the breeding cycle and help overcome industry bottlenecks, such as the slow breeding of superior goats, long generation intervals, and difficulties in preserving desirable traits from generation to generation.

Shaanxi, where NWAFU is located, is home to 40 per cent of China’s dairy goat population and processes 80 per cent of the country’s goat milk products.

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) has set a commitment to build a diversified food supply system, including efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of the livestock industry.