Chicken or egg first? Either way, it's a big project

A major chicken breeding and egg production project started up this months in the Dongchuan district of Kunming, Yunnan province, with the aim of promoting agricultural development and rural vitalization.

The project, the biggest of its kind in Asia, is expected to produce 9,600 metric tons of fresh eggs this year, with an output value of 170 million yuan ($26.8 million).

By 2024, it is expected to produce 2.4 million fresh eggs per day. By that time, annual fresh eggs production will reach 54,000 tons, and the output value will reach about 1 billion yuan. It will offer 500 jobs for residents.

The program, co-developed by the Dongchuan government, CP Group and Kunming Industrial Development and Investment, started up with an investment of 836 million yuan on 104.6 hectares.

All processes, from selection and planting of chicken feed, chicken breeding and food processing, will be managed and traceable to ensure food security, project organizers said.

It's expected to innovate in a closed-loop livestock breeding method covering the full industrial chain, and to promote technological advances in agriculture, increase farmers' incomes and accelerate rural vitalization, they said.