01 February 2023 , 15:10
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Chinese scientists have allegedly managed to successfully clone cows that produce larger amounts of milk than a regular cow, and they were clones from so-called 'super cows'.
'Super cows' are cows that have the ability to produce an unusually large quantity of milk, as reported by the Chinese tabloid The Global Times.
They are created through a selective breeding process, and they can produce up to 18,000 litres of milk per year, and around 100,000 litres in their lifetimes.
To compare this to an average cow, in 2021, a 'normal' cow in the UK produced 8,206 litres of milk in a year, according to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.
'Super cows' have been cloned to make more milk (Stock Image) (Future Publishing via Getty Images)On Tuesday, Chinese state-affiliated media, Ningxia Daily, reported that just before Chinese New Year, three cloned calves were brought into existence in the Ningxia region.
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Only five in 10,000 common cattle breeds in China can produce as much milk as a super cow, scientists told Global Times, and project lead, Jin Yaping, said that his team have 'reincarnated' the super cows in order to help boost China's local milk production.
Milk is an important part of a diet due to its 'good source of energy and protein, and a wide range of vitamins and minerals, including calcium', according to the NHS website. It also helps keep bones and teeth healthy.
Jin's team cloned the cows by using tissue from their ears to make a batch of 120 cloned embryos, 42% of which were successfully impregnated in surrogate cows, The Global Times reported.
Jin wants to make a herd of super cows to help milk production, but this will take another two to three years.
China has come to heavily rely on importing cattle from Europe, but they want to be able to meet their own domestic needs.
Would you drink milk from a super cow? Let us know in the comments.