With the rapid development of China's milk and dairy products market in recent years, people are paying more attention to traditional animal husbandry, as "one cup of milk strengthens one nation". However, the reality is not optimistic. The blind development of land in northern China over the years has caused serious damage to the ecological environment. Water and soil loss and land Desertification are increasing. The contradiction between supply and demand of water resources is very serious. These factors interact with the rapidly growing demand for storage products in the market, putting the originally fragile ecological chain at risk of rupture. In the face of the reality of serious degradation of animal husbandry, reform cannot be avoided. The country has proposed the general plan of "Grain for Green and returning farmland to grass". To meet the strong demand of the market for natural forage, only the solution of "artificial planting of natural forage" is available. Artificial planting of grass and fencing can be scientifically protected and cultivated through irrigation, fertilization, supplementary sowing, and plowing. Firstly, the number of plants per square meter of vegetation increases by 1.8 times, and the height of the grass layer increases by 4-5 times. This way, the coverage of grass and the organic matter on the soil surface of the grassland can reduce soil moisture evaporation, reduce the rate of ground wind and surface runoff, increase soil permeability, and protect the soil from wind and water erosion. The frequency and cycle of forage cutting have been scientifically controlled, and the quality of forage has been significantly improved. Secondly, if modern irrigation is developed on the basis of fence enclosure, and the irrigation amount is determined based on the water demand of the grass at different stages (such as alfalfa, with an average water demand of 3-4 millimeters during the growth period and a maximum water demand of 6 millimeters per day, while modern reel sprinkler irrigation machines can accurately provide irrigation through speed adjustment), the forage yield will increase by more than 15 times, In arid areas, it can reach around 20-30 times. Scale contracting can achieve mechanization of grassland production and industrialization of animal husbandry processing, with advanced grassland cultivation equipment, water-saving irrigation equipment, and animal husbandry processing equipment. After cutting, forage can be processed into a series of products, such as silage, hay, grass powder or particles, which not only meet the needs of their own livestock, but also can be exported to foreign countries, with good economic benefits. For example, the market price of alfalfa hay is 1100 to 1400 yuan/ton, grass particles are 1700 yuan/ton, and the price of silage alfalfa is also around 600 yuan/ton.

Benefit analysis using alfalfa as an example

Generally speaking, the yield per mu of degraded natural grassland is 30 kilograms per mu, and the market price is 0.6 yuan/kg. Therefore, the economic income per mu of natural grassland is:

30 kg/mu ×  0.6 yuan/kg=18 RMB

Artificial grasslands using fencing and water-saving irrigation can increase the yield of degraded natural pastures by more than 20 times, greatly improving the quality and yield of forage. The yield of high-quality alfalfa per mu can reach 800-1200 kilograms, calculated at a market price of 0.6 yuan:

800 kg/mu ×  0.6 yuan/kg=480 yuan RMB

The annual operating cost of artificially planted water-saving irrigation grasslands includes power costs, material costs, maintenance costs, field management costs, equipment depreciation, equipment management costs, etc., with an average of approximately 150 yuan/mu.

From this, it can be concluded that the annual net income per acre of artificially planted water-saving irrigated agricultural pasture is 330 RMB, which increases the income by 302 RMB compared to traditional natural pasture. The economic benefits are very significant.

Even considering the equipment investment, if an internationally advanced mobile reel type sprinkler machine and supporting pipes and pumps are invested with 80000 yuan and a control area of 300 acres, the one-time investment per acre is only 267 yuan, and the cost can be recovered in the same year. The average lifespan of the equipment can reach more than 10 years.

The above are only the economic benefits brought by grass as a primary product. If we consider building cow bases or grass feed deep processing plants with added value, the economic benefits will be more prominent.