Dairy products to get boost

China will improve the quality of dairy products to boost the confidence of consumers, according to a guideline unveiled by the State Council on June 11.

The guideline, published by the State Council General Office, said that the country is targeting substantial progress in the supply-side structural reform of the dairy sector by 2020, when the sector will also see a remarkable increase in production capacity.

The number of dairy farms with more than 100 cows will account for more than 65 percent of the total by 2020, according to the guideline.

The guideline also targets an increase in the quality, competitiveness and reputation of domestic baby formula, with the levels of quality and safety expected to increase by a large margin and consumer confidence boosted accordingly.

The sector was hit hard after a 2008 scandal in which a number of farmers and manufacturers were found to have added melamine, a toxic chemical, to unprocessed milk.

To improve the milk source, the government will develop a "golden area" of milk production in north, northeast and northwest China. It calls for developing standardized cattle breeding methods, improving the quality of milk cows through big data and online evaluation platforms, and producing high-quality fodder for cows.

More measures will be introduced to ensure the quality of baby formula, and laws and regulations related to it will be strictly enforced. Illegal actions such as mixing inedible ingredients and overuse of food additives will be stringently punished.

Importing large bags of baby formula to be resold in small packages is strictly prohibited.