中國正在興建一家商業性的動物克隆中心，以滿足國內日益增長的牛肉需求。

全球領先的科技公司博雅控股在新聞稿中表示，這家工廠位于天津經濟技術開發區。

該項目總投資3100萬美元，預計將在2016年上半年投入運營。工廠一期將實現年產10萬頭牛胚胎，未來將達到年產百萬頭的目標。這家工廠將成為世界最大的克隆工廠，并配有一座基因資源庫和一間博物館。

《財富》雜志曾于2015年11月報道，過去幾十年，中國的牛肉需求一直在穩步增長。約30年前，豬肉占中國肉類消費的90%以上；現在，豬肉的比例下降到60%以下。牛肉填補了大部分空缺，自2000年以來，牛肉價格上漲了4倍。荷蘭合作銀行預測，2025年，中國的牛肉消耗量將比現在增加220萬噸。

博雅控股在新聞稿中表示，中國的養殖戶很難滿足持續高漲的牛肉需求。如果取得成功，這家工廠或許將緩解養殖戶的壓力，但更有可能將許多人擠出這個市場。

2008年，預計到克隆技術的商業應用，美國食品及藥品管理局(FDA)曾規定，來自克隆動物的食品產品足夠安全，可以進入美國市場。但FDA并未強制要求食品生產商在其產品上標注食品的來源是否為克隆動物。克隆食品進入美國，可能會遭到消費者的抵制，特別是考慮到轉基因食品一直都是頗具爭議的熱點問題。

此外，中國還依靠澳大利亞來滿足與日俱增的牛肉消耗需求。據彭博社報道，2015年10月20日，澳大利亞首次從該國向中國中部空運活牛。澳大利亞此舉賦予了“牛等艙”（cattle class）這個詞語全新的含義。通常，飛機上的經濟艙又被叫做“牛等艙”。

該航班的管理方是來自澳大利亞阿德萊德的農村服務公司Elders Ltd.，隨著中國對新鮮牛肉的需求日益增長，該公司的利潤也在不斷增加。

海運只能將牲畜進口到沿海城市。因為根據某些規定，進口活畜的入境點不能超過檢疫區域55英里。為了將新鮮牛肉銷往中國中部的內陸城市，航空運輸很有必要。

第一次空運只是嘗試，但澳大利亞的牲畜供應商相信，空運的額外成本是值得的，因為在中國，牛肉的價值更高，牛身上的每一個部位都不會被浪費。進口活畜為中國中部地區的居民提供了購買新鮮內臟的機會。

然而，這些供應商遭到了某些動物權益保護組織的抗議。抗議者們認為活牛在飛行途中會承受壓力。“澳大利亞政府應該關注冷凍和冷藏牛肉行業，而不是不顧及澳大利亞動物的福利，向中國運送活畜。”澳大利亞皇家防止虐待動物協會向彭博社表示。（財富中文網）

譯者:劉進龍/汪皓

審校：任文科

A commercial animal cloning center is currently being built in China to help meet the country’s rapidly rising beef demands.

According to a press release by BoyaLife, a global leading technology company, the plant will be located in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin in a government sponsored business development park known as the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area.

The $31 million investment is expected to begin operations in the first half of 2016. The plant will start by producing 100,000 cattle embryos per year and eventually work its way up to one million. It will be the largest cloning facility in the world, complete with a gene storage area and a museum.

Last month Fortune reported that China’s beef demand has increased steadily over the past few decades. About 30 years ago, pork made up over 90% of the country’s meat consumption; now it’s less than 60%. Much of that void is being filled by beef, which has increased in price fourfold since 2000. Rabobank projects that by 2025 China will consume 2.2 million more tons of beef than it does now.

BoyaLife writes that Chinese farmers are having a difficult time meeting high beef demands. If this venture is successful, it could take that pressure off of them or, more likely, put many out of business.

In 2008, in anticipation of cloning technology being used for commercial purposes, the Food and Drug Administration ruled that food products derived from cloned animals are safe enough to enter the U.S. However, the agency did not mandate that food producers label their products as having derived from cloned animals. There could be backlash from consumers if these products reach the U.S., especially considering that genetically modified foods have been such a hot button issue.

In addition, Australia is giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “cattle class.” The nation sent its first flight filled with live cows to central China on Oct. 20, Bloomberg reports.

The flight was managed by Elders Ltd., a rural-services company based in Adelaide, Australia, which has seen its profit grow due to rising demand for fresh beef in China.

Boat travel is only sufficient when importing livestock to coastal cities. Because of certainregulations, imported live animals’ point of entry can’t be more than 55 miles away from their quarantine area. In order for fresh beef to be sold to inland cities in central China, air travel is necessary.

The first flight was just a test, but Australian livestock-suppliers believe that the extra cost will be worth it, partly because the value of beef is higher in China where every part of the animal gets used. Importing live animals provides locals in central China with the opportunity to purchase fresh internal organs.

However, these suppliers are receiving some backlash from animal rights groups that believe the cattle suffer from stress during travel. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Australia told Bloomberg that “the Australian government is best to instead focus on the chilled and frozen beef industry rather than putting the welfare of more Australian animals at risk by sending live cattle to China.”