China's Law on Animal Husbandry, a milestone legislature that will improve the raising of livestock, will take effect on July 1.

The law will ensure sound breeding conditions of livestock and livestock product quality, Vice Minister of Agriculture Zhang Baowen said on Monday.

Zhang said China's animal husbandry industry has been faced with several new problems in recent years such as the existence of fake livestock species, increased risks of animal diseases and outdated rearing methods.

The eight-chapter law includes regulations on livestock breeding, raising and production, transportation and product quality protection.

According to the new law, to ensure the quality and security of livestock products, the use of foodstuff, additives and medicines should be in accordance with legal and technical standards.

The new law will help facilitate the modernization of China's animal husbandry industry by encouraging the development of large-scale and highly productive livestock farms. Many farmers still raise their livestock in their households.

Animal husbandry has become a pillar industry of China's rural economy. Its output value exceeded 1,300 billion yuan (US$162.5 billion) last year, accounting for 35 percent of the total agricultural output value.

Currently, there are more than 100 million farmers engaged in animal husbandry in China, and a farmer's average annual income from the industry is about 600 yuan, or 30 percent of total household income.

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2006)