In the past two years, goat milk has gained more and more recognition and choice from Chinese consumers because it is easy to digest and absorb, and its nutritional form is closer to that of breast milk. Stimulated by strong consumer demand, old-brand goat milk enterprises have successively recruited talents, and dairy giants have rushed to snatch market share. Since this year, major domestic dairy groups have begun to apply for registration of infant formula goat milk products. Experts said that the characteristics of goat milk industry at this stage are very similar to the outbreak of milk industry at the beginning. It is not difficult to predict that the whole goat milk industry will enter a period of rapid development similar to that of milk in that year, and become a new force in the growth of China's dairy market.
"Goat milk is a good source of milk. Compared with milk, the protein in goat's milk is not easy to sensitize, and fat is easier to digest and absorb. Zhang Fuxin, a professor in the Department of Food Science of Shaanxi Normal University, has done a lot of research on the bioactive substances in goat milk. He told that goat milk contains various active substances. The contents of EGF (epithelial growth factor) and lGF (insulin-like growth factor) in goat milk are about two times higher than that in milk."Goat milk is a good source of milk. Compared with milk, the protein in goat's milk is not easy to sensitize, and fat is easier to digest and absorb. Zhang Fuxin, a professor in the Department of Food Science of Shaanxi Normal University, has done a lot of research on the bioactive substances in goat milk. He told that goat milk contains various active substances. The contents of EGF (epithelial growth factor) and lGF (insulin-like growth factor) in goat milk are about two times higher than that in milk.
Data shows that the dairy goats in China are mainly five dairy goat breeds, namely, the dairy goats in Guanzhong of Shaanxi, Laoshan of Shandong, Tangshan of Hebei, Henan and Yanbian of Jilin. In the past 100 years, more than 30% of dairy goats have been bred in Guanzhong area of Shaanxi Province. At present, there are more than 2 million dairy goats in Shaanxi Province, and the annual output of goat milk reaches more than 500,000 tons, ranking first in the country.
Milk is the mainstream product of dairy industry, but in recent years, goat milk is constantly seizing market share. Wangzhigang, general manager of Shaanxi Growth Enterprise Guidance Fund Management Co., Ltd., revealed that the domestic goat milk market scale has risen from 3 billion yuan in 2014 to nearly 20 billion yuan in 2016, and the industry development is in a period of rapid growth. At present, China's goat milk production capacity occupies half of the world.
"Compared with the hundreds of billions of dollars of milk market, goat milk has just risen, but the growth rate is astonishing." Wang Baoyin, chairman of Shaanxi Hongxing Dairy Limited by Share Ltd Meiling, said that at present the price of goat milk is nearly three times that of milk, and the supply of goat milk is in short supply. The problem of goat milk shortage is very serious, and a large number of goat milk sources need to rely on imports. "China not only imports sheep from abroad, but also imports goat milk powder, which is the current situation of this industry."
At present, goat milk only accounts for less than 5% of the national dairy market. Faced with the small market of goat milk industry, Shaanxi proposes to make goat milk market a "100 billion yuan" industry. Reporters learned that in Fuping County, Shaanxi Province, the main production area of goat milk, the level of product research and development, inspection and testing of goat milk production enterprises have been rapidly improved. Taking Hongxing as an example, in 2017, 9 kinds of formula products were certified by the Regulations for Registration and Management of Formula Milk Powder for Infants and Young Children. At the same time, Hongxing took the lead in investing in the construction of cheese production line, becoming the first infant formula milk powder manufacturer in China that can produce goat whey powder by itself.
According to Li Fuping, director of Fuping County Agricultural Bureau, at present, the Agricultural and Rural Department of Shaanxi Province has built Fuping as a demonstration base for dairy goats. Shaanxi has intensified its support efforts and spent 100 million yuan to solve the problems of breed optimization and pasture of Guanzhong dairy goats, set up a national dairy testing center, and help dairy enterprises to implement brand-building so as to promote the development of dairy goat industry.
Although the large-scale breeding of dairy goats is still in its infancy, the development potential of goat dairy industry is huge. Cao Binyun, chairman of the International Dairy Goat Association and chief scientist of the technological innovation system of Shanxi Dairy Goat Industry, said that it was estimated that the development potential of China's dairy market in the next 10 years was about 600 billion yuan, and that of the goat dairy industry was over 200 billion yuan, but at present it is less than 20 billion yuan.
The rapid growth of the market will also put forward new requirements and great challenges to the existing brand marketing of goat milk. "At present, the regulation of formula milk powder is more and more stringent, and the goat milk industry has been facing the requirements of industrial development normalization and upgrading." Liu Rundong, assistant general manager of Shaanxi Hongxing Meiling Dairy Co., Ltd., said that goat milk is not a luxury item, but a high-quality nutritional food. Therefore, all the propaganda content and methods deviating from "high quality nutritional food" will return to the true image of goat milk, and can no longer rely on false exaggeration to marketing. Brand operators of goat milk need to make greater efforts to develop their industries with strategies and brands, and to meet the consumer needs of the public with real good products.
