The groundbreaking ceremony for the major milk production project takes place on May 18 in Hohhot. [Photo/people.com.cn]

A major new milk production and diary production hub -- the China Dairy Industrial Park Core Area 100,000-cow Milk Source Base Project -- broke ground at a ceremony in Horinger county in Hohhot in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on May 18 according to local media reports.

The project will, among other things, feature a 10,000 mu (667-hectare) alfalfa demonstration garden. It will build a 5,000 mu ryegrass R&D and test center, to help expand and develop production from 100,000 mu of planted ryegrass.

Officials said that within three years, a large-scale breeding farm with 100,000 cows will be built, increasing annual milk production volumes by 2,000 tons.

The completed milk production hub is expected to promote planting, breeding and processing in Horinger county.

Officials said the high-quality and coordinated development of upstream and downstream industry supply chains will directly and indirectly result in farmers and herdsmen increasing their incomes.