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Veterinarians and Animal Scientists

Li Junya and the Huaxi Cattle: Building a Chinese Beef Breed at Ulagai

A Beijing animal scientist spent two decades building a core herd in Inner Mongolia that won national breed approval in December 2021.

Who is Li Junya?

Li Junya is a researcher at the Beijing Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, part of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, where she leads the cattle genetics and breeding innovation team, according to the China Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences feature. Other reports use the name Institute of Animal Sciences for the same research body.

A September 2026 report from Guangming Daily describes her as deputy director of the institute and chief scientist of the National Beef and Yak Industry Technology System.

Why China needed a home-grown beef breed

China has leaned heavily on imported genetics for beef. A report carried by China Services Info says China imported 2.3 million tons of beef in the year before and that around 70 percent of beef breeding cattle were imported.

A Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences official called the domestic beef industry's late start a constraint. A homegrown specialized breed was meant to reduce that dependence.

From Simmental crosses to the Ulagai herd

The herd has deep roots. In 1978 an Inner Mongolia project began crossbreeding local cattle with several beef and dual-purpose breeds, and it ended after about eight years without a finished breed. In 1993 local authorities brought in North American Simmental semen to improve beef traits.

In 2002 to 2003 Li's team surveyed major cattle provinces and chose Ulagai, Inner Mongolia, as the breeding base. The sources differ on the start of the core herd: one says 2003, another 2004 with a closed-herd method.

How the Huaxi herd was built

The first Huaxi genomic reference population was set up in 2007, and in 2015 a joint progeny-testing alliance for beef bulls was formed. Li's team pushed 14 bull stations to begin beef progeny testing that year. The breed was renamed from Simmental beef cattle to Huaxi cattle in 2018.

The breeding goals were summarized as three highs and two wides: high dressing percentage, high net meat yield, high growth rate, wide adaptability and wide distribution. The breed took 43 years from the 1978 start to national approval and went through four generations of selection.

The Key to Li Junya's Success

The record shows a long program built on measured data and a network of partner farms rather than a single breakthrough. Li's team stayed with one site, Ulagai, for about 20 years.

The sources are official and news accounts, so they emphasize achievements. Some figures differ between reports, which are noted below.

  • She picked a base after surveying major cattle provinces in 2002 to 2003, then stayed with it.
  • The team used closed-herd breeding at Ulagai and built a genomic reference population, now reported at 3,920 head.
  • Progeny testing: in 2015 her team pushed 14 bull stations to begin beef progeny testing.
  • Joint breeding: the Huaxi Cattle Breeding Alliance grew to over 40 enterprises.
  • Genomic tools: a 110,000-locus chip reportedly costs under 200 yuan, compared with about 3,000 yuan for imported chips; another report gives about 400 yuan.

Approval, auctions and results

The breed passed national approval in December 2021 and was publicly launched on August 9, 2022. Two national bull auctions in 2018 and 2019 sold 119 bulls for about 11.1 million yuan, with a top price of 240,000 yuan. At the seventh national bull auction in Ulagai, reported in September 2026, two Huaxi bulls each sold for 480,000 yuan.

Adult bulls weigh about 900 kg and mature cows over 550 kg. The breeding population covers 14 provinces with 31,600 head, according to the Guangming report, and Huaxi became China's first self-bred beef breed exported abroad, to Laos. Sources differ on dressing percentage, giving 62.39 percent in one and 61.3 percent in another.

Legacy and what comes next

The program set targets of about 400 bulls a year supplied to bull stations and 70 percent domestic seed supply by 2025, and over 500 bulls a year and 80 percent by 2027. Plans also include a global Huaxi genome reference database and a new round of selection aimed at more than 3 percent annual genetic progress.

A national beef germplasm conservation center is being built at Ulagai with the institute. For more on beef breeding worldwide, visit farm.FM ranching or a farm.FM story about beef cattle breeding.

Timeline

  1. 1978Inner Mongolia crossbreeding project begins
  2. 1993North American Simmental semen introduced to improve beef traits
  3. 2002-2003Li's team selects Ulagai as the breeding base
  4. 2007First Huaxi genomic reference population established
  5. 2015Joint progeny-testing alliance for beef bulls formed
  6. 2018Breed renamed from Simmental beef cattle to Huaxi cattle
  7. December 2021National breed approval granted
  8. August 9, 2022Breed publicly launched at a livestock seed industry summit

Frequently asked questions

Who is Li Junya?

Li Junya is a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences who leads the cattle genetics and breeding team behind Huaxi cattle and is chief scientist of China's National Beef and Yak Industry Technology System.

What are Huaxi cattle?

Huaxi cattle are a specialized beef breed developed from 1978 to 2021 in Ulagai, Inner Mongolia. It won national approval in December 2021 and is recognized as China's first domestically developed specialized beef breed.

Why was a Chinese beef breed developed?

China imports around 70 percent of its beef breeding cattle. A domestic breed was meant to reduce that reliance and supply core breeding genetics from Chinese herds.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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