Sow herd productivity is about 30% lower than in developed countries and dairy cows produce only 80% of the milk than their peers in some leading markets, Shi Jianzhong, an official with the agriculture ministry's National Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources Committee told reporters on Wednesday. China has to rely on overseas stock to produce white-feathered broiler chickens, he said.

The drive to improve livestock genetics is part of China's goal of relying less on imports to feed its massive and increasingly affluent population. However, the nation will continue to bring in animals from overseas to improve its domestic stock to catch up faster with advanced countries, said Chen Yaosheng, an official at the ministry's National Pig Genetic Improvement Program.