Abstract:

As a pivotal national base for animal husbandry in China, Sichuan Province boasts a cattle industry that serves as a pillar of its agricultural and rural economy. The industry plays an irreplaceable role in ensuring the national supply security of meat and milk, increasing farmers' and herders' incomes, and promoting comprehensive rural revitalization. In 2025, the province's cattle inventory reached 7.845 million head, ranking third nationwide; beef production stood at 390,000 tons; and milk output reached 647,000 tons. The industry as a whole is accelerating its transformation from a traditional quantity-driven model to a modern quality- and efficiency-oriented one. Drawing on literature review, statistical analysis, field investigations, and comparative analysis, this paper systematically reviews the current development status of Sichuan's cattle industry and delves into the deep-seated problems constraining its high-quality development. The findings indicate that Sichuan possesses some of the richest cattle genetic resources in China and has independently developed superior varieties such as the Shuxuan Cattle; the proportion of large-scale farming has steadily increased; a framework for the entire industrial chain has taken initial shape; the green crop-livestock circular model has been gradually promoted; and innovative breakthroughs in science and technology have emerged on multiple fronts. Nevertheless, when benchmarked against leading animal husbandry provinces and advanced international standards, the industry still faces structural challenges, including weak independent innovation capacity in the seed industry, insufficient supply of high-quality forage, low levels of intensive and deep processing in the slaughtering sector, deficiencies in grassroots epidemic prevention and technical service systems, and inadequate market brand competitiveness. In response, this paper proposes systematic countermeasures across six dimensions: seed industry revitalization, forage supply security, whole-industrial-chain upgrading, disease purification, green circular development, and policy and financial support. The aim is to provide a scientific evidence base and decision-making references for building Sichuan into a powerhouse in the cattle industry, thereby facilitating the province’s historic leap from a major cattle-producing province to a strong one and contributing to the construction of a higher-level “Tianfu Granary” in the new era.

Key words: Sichuan cattle industry, Seed industry vitalization, Whole industrial chain, High-quality development