At 9 AM on October 25th, Qin Zhizhao, a post-95s entrepreneur from Liucheng County in Guangxi, had just finished cutting grass on the mountains surrounding Liuzhou. Following his morning routine, he moved on to chopping the grass, feeding the cows, cleaning up manure, and tidying the barn—all part of his daily responsibilities.
Qin, a veteran who returned to his hometown in Guzhai, a Mulao ethnic village in Liucheng after five years of military service, invested over 40,000 yuan to build his cow barn and spent 110,000 yuan on local yellow cattle to develop his farming business, earning himself the title of “Cattle Commander.”
Transitioning from a soldier to a cattle farmer, Qin recalls that he was just 24 years old when he left the military. “I thought to myself, as a veteran, with the spirit of resilience and hard work I’ve learned, I can build a solid career at home in farming and animal husbandry. It has to be better than just wandering around elsewhere,” he shared.
Qin clearly knows what he wants and chose to focus on cattle breeding rather than crop farming. He notes that the geographic advantages of his village, which is remote and mountainous with abundant forests and grass, make it well-suited for raising cattle. Additionally, Guzhai’s plentiful supply of feed from rice and sugarcane cultivation provides ample resources for his cattle.
However, Qin’s journey in cattle farming wasn’t without its challenges. In the beginning, lacking technical support, he faced a crisis when several cows refused to eat and exhibited fever symptoms. An urgent call for a vet was his immediate response.
In 2022, Qin shifted his farming strategy, experimenting with self-breeding to increase his herd size by selling calves. Unfortunately, as winter approached, he encountered a shortage of silage, forcing him to seek out straw and sugarcane leaves, which significantly raised his operating costs.
Learning as he goes, Qin adopts a unique approach to standardized cattle management. He often takes his cows up the mountain, using locators to track them, allowing them to graze freely—“one person, one mountain, one herd,” as he puts it.
He focuses on feed management, prioritizing sugarcane leaves and high-quality forages, supplemented by corn flour, ensuring the cows are “well-fed, well-rested, and well-taken care of,” which reduces the breeding cycle and enhances safety in cattle rearing.
Today, Qin has amassed a wealth of knowledge about cattle farming, and his herd is thriving. Over the past four years, he has successfully housed over 30 cattle and achieved a model of low investment, high output, and efficiency in beef production, setting an inspiring example for young people in his village to engage in animal husbandry.
