On the early morning of August 22, 2024, a shipment of 172,800 "Guangming No. 2" parent stock (PS) hatching eggs arrived in Pakistan, marking a significant milestone for the "Guangming No. 2" white-feather broiler breed. This breed, independently developed by the Institute of Animal Science (IAS) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and Foshan Gaoming District Xinguang Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd., has officially entered the international market. This achievement underscores the determination and capability of domestic livestock and poultry varieties to actively expand into global markets.

"The export of white-feather broiler parent stock hatching eggs to Pakistan is highly significant for us. We are thrilled that more Chinese parent stock hatching eggs will be exported not only to Pakistan but also to markets worldwide," said Mr. Liu Dawei, deputy general manager of Xinguang and head of the White Feather Broiler project.

Prof. Zhao Guiping from IAS, CAAS, noted, "The breeding team has been meticulously preparing for the international market launch of 'Guangming No. 2.' By integrating intelligent phenotyping and genomic selection technology, we have improved the feed conversion ratio of the paternal line by more than 0.02 annually and increased the maternal line's egg production by over two eggs each year. Consequently, the overall production performance of this variety has steadily improved. The 'Guangming No. 2' commercial broiler reaches a market weight of over 3 kg at 42 days of age, with a feed conversion ratio of 1.32-1.5:1, meeting international standards for the same rearing period. The breed's significant advantages include rapid growth, a high survival rate, and a low feed conversion ratio."

The 172,800 parent stock hatching eggs exported to Pakistan can produce over 50,000 sets of "Guangming No. 2" parent broilers after 21 days of incubation. These parent broilers will eventually yield over 7 million commercial broilers, equating to more than 21,000 tons of chicken.

For the past four decades, the global market for white-feather broiler breeders has been dominated by developed countries in Europe and the United States, with China previously relying entirely on foreign imports. By the end of 2021, three domestic varieties, including "Guangming No. 2," had successfully passed review, marking a significant achievement in China's independent cultivation of white-feather broiler breeders.

The recent successful initiation of China-Pakistan poultry breeding export cooperation represents a significant first step, laying a strong foundation for both countries to jointly promote the innovative development of the global broiler breeding industry.