International Programs

For Many years, specifically in Southern China, the Chinese have used rice and wheat crops together as a rotational cropping system. However, China is Undergoing a complete restructuring of their agricultural production systems to improve agricultural output. Annual ryegrass is a highly productive, high quality forage suitable for livestock production. Annual ryegrass profitability as a crop comes from the livestock that are fed. In many parts of Southern China, this rice-ryegrass rotation system could be used instead of low quality wheat in combination with rice. Using ryegrass for feed instead of wheat, in addition, has many ecological and social benefits. Annual ryegrass improves the soil structure and fertility, controls weeds (reducing the use of pesticides and herbicides and thereby lowering production costs), and is better for field ecology and the environment.
Instead of just vegetables, fish and wheat products the Chinese would have more access to eat meat products, such as goats, sheep, beef cattle, rabbits, poultry, and dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt. This would allow them to improve their diets and is likely to result in greater total food production from the same land resource. A study conducted on the rice-ryegrass-geese rotation system indicated that this system is more profitable than the rice-wheat rotation system. Similarly, we can assume that when using other livestock species they may also provide added value similar as with geese.