The industry chain involves research and development, farming, slaughtering, meat processing and sales as well as manure processing in the county, where 395,000 cattle are raised.

These sectors bought in 15 billion in revenue by the end of last year, and created over 100,000 jobs, said Wang Huaijun, an official in charge of the county's animal husbandry affairs. Some 30,000 people have been lifted out of poverty thanks to the cattle industries, Wang said.

China has decided to set a five-year transition period for counties that have shaken off poverty, and will gradually shift the policy focus toward comprehensively promoting rural vitalization, according to an annual central rural work conference that concluded in Beijing in December.

By 2025, Biyang plans to further invest 3 billion yuan in expanding the business clusters related to Xianan cattle, Wang said.

Song Renqi, 28, is among the migrant workers who returned from bigger cities to work in the cattle industry. He now earns 4,000 yuan a month working as a quality inspector at Hondo Beef. "I have no doubt the future of Xianan cattle will prosper, and so will mine," Song said.

Xinhua