The Law on Animal Husbandry will take effect in China on July 1st, a milestone legislature that will see China improve its raising of livestock.

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

Zhang said China's animal husbandry industry has faced some new problems in recent years, like the existence of fake livestock species, increased risks of animal diseases and out dated rearing methods.

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

According to the new law, to ensure the quality and security of livestock products, the use of foodstuffs, additives and medicines should follow 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 the animal husbandry industry in China, and the farmer's average annual income from the animal husbandry industry is around 600 yuan, about 30 percent of the farmer's total household income.

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2006)