The boss of a company which has been breeding ‘wild’ animals more more than a decade has had to completely change his business in the wake of the Covid 19 epidemic.

Zhu Zhongjun, 59, chief executive of the Jiujiang Poyan Breeding Ltd, in Nanchang City has had to change production from wild geese to cultured geese and turtles following orders from officials. 

The wildlife trade has been banned in China since last year by the National top legislature, the Standing People’s Congress, in an effort to curb the potential risk of spreading the coronavirus.

Mr Zhu started his second business, switching to breed domestic animals like geese, turtles and chicken. 

He said: “We consulted with specialists and came up with the transitional measures from wild geese industry to domestic ones. 

“The government offered financial and technical support in this process, so though it’s still quite hard to give up all I accumulated for a decade, I need to make a restart.”

The company contracted 130 hectares of land including farms, lakes and workshops, as well as leisure area which maybe develop sightseeing tour.

Geese eating feed grain on the meadow

Mr Zhu said that there are more than 7,200 geese raised on the farm all in perfect physical condition, which are “purely natural, pollution-free, safe and healthy.”

He added that: “ The farm also provides jobs by employing many residents around to tackle poverty.”

Things are going well now after a difficult time of transition, the farm has been elected as one of the National technology incubators.

Mr Zhu said he is pleased to see the vibrant atmosphere bustling with all kinds of animals.

He said: “We have formed complete industrial chain covers geese breeding, egg incubation, the supply of products made from geese like foods and down coats.”

Automatic hatching system in the workshops

Nonetheless, Yu Fenfen, 45, Mr Zhu’s wife, sometimes worried about the prospect of the firm with the modest profits excluding all costs of purchasing feeds, renting and hiring workers.

Mr Zhu highlighted that animal breeding is an industry that requires patience and devotion to see the results you expected, and he will definitely insist on it.

“To create a geese brand with the high products quality and reputation is the firm pursuing goal, I’m always on the road.”