The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs initiated a program to improve the genetics of China's livestock and poultry, aiming to cultivate a batch of breakthrough varieties with international competitiveness and ensure the control of key breeds in 10 to 15 years.

Sun Haoqin, deputy director of the department of seed industry at the ministry, said China will establish a commercial breeding system and dramatically improve the production efficiency and quality of livestock and poultry.

China can supply enough pigs and cattle to meet more than 75 percent of domestic demand, but production efficiency still lags behind the more advanced international level, Sun said.

The new program, prioritizing scientific innovation, will enhance both the quantity and quality of livestock and poultry.

"If the country's production efficiency of live pigs can reach the more advanced international level, we can save 31.5 million metric tons of forage, which is equivalent to 3.67 million hectares of farmland," Sun said.

The program aims to develop new varieties of water birds, horses and bees while greatly improving the productivity of pigs, cattle and sheep.

China will build an evaluation center for livestock and poultry breeds and add traits such as texture into performance tests, according to the program. New technology will be applied to help realize modern breeding and improve efficiency, it added.

Chen Yaosheng, head expert for a program to improve the genetics of pigs, said China can ensure the supply of nearly 90 percent of pig breeds thanks to the last round of the program that started in 2009.

"China imported less than 10,000 breeding pigs annually in the past 10 years, accounting for 10 percent of the breeding population. The imported pigs were mainly used to supplement resources, upgrade varieties and improve the production efficiency of breeding pigs," Chen said.

China has 83 local breeding pig varieties with good quality and flavor, but the low lean-meat percentage of local pigs cannot cater to consumers' increasing needs for lean pork, he added.

"We have built 62 pig breeding farms and conservation areas to collect and reserve genetic resources of local pigs, which have bred 30 new varieties in recent years," Chen said, adding that more protection will be given to local pig varieties.

"We will promote the development of local varieties and cultivate special breeds carrying traits of fresh texture and delicious flavor to satisfy the market demand," he said.