Assessing the competitiveness of China's livestock industry from the perspective of technological progress

Purpose This paper discusses the production technology gap in China's livestock sector, a critical factor contributing to the sector's low competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach This paper refines the livestock yield calculation formula and employs it as the central variable. Using static and dynamic comparisons, we analyze the trends and development potential of China's livestock industry competitiveness from international and domestic perspectives. Findings The production technology level of China's livestock is generally low. After rapid progress initially, the rate of technological advancement has declined sharply since the beginning of the 21st century, resulting in a persistent gap between China and leading international producers. Furthermore, technological progress in pork and chicken production in the country has always lagged behind that in beef and mutton production. The beef cattle and meat sheep sectors are exhibiting faster “catch-up” growth, possibly because they started from a lower baseline, whereas the commercial pig and poultry sectors are experiencing diminishing marginal returns or a “growth bottleneck” typical of mature industries. Originality/value This study provides a simplified framework for assessing competitiveness through yield analysis and refines yield formulas for different livestock types. The findings have important practical implications for the sector.