SD Soybean Farmers Meet with Large Swine Producer in China
Continuing their journey in China, the See for Yourself group traveled to Yang Xiang Company near Guigang, Guangxi. On the way, the group experienced the countryside of China, a big change of scenery compared to Beijing. Farms in rural China mainly grow rice, sugar cane and a variety of fruits and vegetables on small plots of land. En route to the Yang Xiang Company, the group even witnessed a local farmer plowing his field with oxen.
Specializing in swine reproduction and feed mills, the Yang Xiang Company is a world leader in both industries. Mr. Yang Xiang owns and operates 26 sow breeding farms with a combined herd size of 40,000. The Yang Xiang Company also operates the world’s largest boar semen collection farm with the capacity to house 20,000 boars and 16 feed processing plants. Within the next decade, Mr. Yang hopes to continue to grow his swine operation to 100,000 boars and sows.
The boar farm provides semen for Mr. Yang’s sow herd and is marketed and sold to other sow farms. Over 12 million bushels of soybean meal and 15 million bushels of corn are fed at this farm yearly. Grain is imported to Mr. Yang’s feed plants where it is then processed for use at his hog farms.
While meeting with the Yang Xiang Company, the group of South Dakota farmers had the opportunity to share about their own personal farms, and the exceptional essential amino acid profile of U.S. soybeans.
Following the tour, representatives from the company hosted the ‘See For Yourself’ group for dinner and discussions about Chinese agriculture.
Watch our blog for more updates as South Dakota Soybean farmers experience the importance of international marketing firsthand in China.