China claims cloning 'super cows' that can produce 1.7 times more milk

China has cloned three 'super cows' that are able to produce a higher amount of milk. This can prove to be a breakthrough for the Chinese dairy industry. The scientists at the Northwest University of Agricultural and Forestry Science and Technology were breeding three calves that are born in the Ningxia region in the weeks leading up to the Lunar New Year on January 23, reported the state-run Ningxia Daily.

The first cloned calves were born on December 30 by cesarean section as they are relatively large in sixe, i.e., 56.7 kilograms (120 pounds), an official in the city of Wulin in Ningxia told the state-run Technology Daily. Scientists have so far cloned 120 embryos from the ear cells of highly productive cows. These embryos have been placed in surrogate cows. 

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These 'super cows' were cloned from highly productive cows from the Holstein Friesian breed, originating in the Netherlands. These cows can produce 18 tons of milk per year or 100 tons of milk in their lifetimes. 100 tons of milk in a cow's lifetime is 1.7 times the amount of milk an average cow in the United States produced in 2021, according to the US Department of Agriculture.