Features of Down by Region in China
2019-06-13
The World’s Largest Down Supplier, China
Globally 4 billion ducks and 400 million geese are raised for the food industry each year. Breeding grounds are influenced by local and environmental characteristics and food culture, and the country that breeds the largest number of ducks and geese is China. China is the world’s most populated country, with 1.4 billion people, which is 18% of the total world population of 7.7 billion. With duck being a traditionally important component in Chinese cuisine, the demand is huge.
Data source: Transparency Market Research
Accordingly, China is the largest supplier of down products produced by recycling by-products of the food industry. It is estimated that China produces around 80% of the global down supply when combining duck and goose down.
The country breeds a wide range of ducks and geese, and it can produce and supply down of various conditions, ranging from regular quality to high quality. In this issue, we will look at down produced in China, the world’s largest producer of down.
Chinese Down by Region
The area of China is about 960 million hectares, making it the fourth-largest area in the world. Being such a wide area, the latitude difference across China is 30 degrees, and the longitude difference is up to 55 degrees. It makes the climate and environment differences between regions big.
<China Map, Divided into 6 Regions>
Image Source: PLOS
– East China
The four seasons are temperate and there is an abundance of water sources, making the region China’s biggest producer of down. The main production areas are Anhui Province, Shandong Province, and Jiangsu Province, and many large factories are in operation due to more active industrialization than other regions.
Duck: Common domesticated Cherry Valley ducks are the main breed, and quality is even without any major environmental changes as large farms adhere to established standards.
Goose: Anhui Province) White Wǎn xī bái é (皖西白鹅) geese are bred. Its feathers are very clean, it has low oil and fat, and its color is a brighter white than other breeds. Thanks to the warm climate and abundance water sources, it has good nutrition, giving it highly elastic down.
Shandong Province, Jiangsu Province) White Sìjì é (四季鹅) geese are bred. The breeding time is three to four months, which is shorter than the typical breeding time of six months, so the size of the down is smaller than that of Wǎn xī bái é (皖西白鹅) and Huō yǎn é (豁眼鹅).
<(From left) Cherry Valley), Wǎn xī bái é (皖西白鹅), Sìjì é (四季鹅)>
– Northeast China
The winter in this region of China is long and the average temperature is around six to nine degrees, geese are mainly raised. White Huō yǎn é (豁眼鹅) geese and gray Lǎng dé é (朗德鹅) geese are the main breeds. The breeding time is from six months to a year, so the objects grow sufficiently, and because the average temperature is low, the quality of the down developed for heat preservation is good. They have large feathers and the calami of the down are fine. Because they have a relatively large amount of oil and fat, care must be taken in the post-collection management and cleaning stages.
<Huō yǎn é (豁眼鹅) (Left), Lǎng dé é (朗德鹅)(Right)>
– South Central China
Gray geese are bred in Guangdong Province and the autonomous region of Guangxi. The summer is long, the winter is short and there is frequent rainfall. The geese are raised outside in their natural environment rather than indoors, so the resulting change in quality is dramatic. Yángjiāng é (阳江鹅) and Shī tóu é (狮头鹅) species are mainly raised, among which Shī tóu é (狮头鹅) are raised for seven months or longer and have excellent size and resilience; however, production is not so large.
<Shī tóu é (狮头鹅) (Left), Yángjiāng é (阳江鹅)(Right)>
– Southwest China
Ducks and geese are bred in Sichuan Province and Chongqing. Thanks to the hot summer and mild winter, the environment is dry, making for even better quality than in the northern region. The main breeds in the region are white Sìchuān bái é (四川白鹅) geese and white Huābiān yā (花边鸭) ducks. Huābiān yā (花边鸭 ducks grow much faster than other breeds of duck. Because of this, a lot of gray duck down is collected in this area.
<Sìchuān bái é (四川白鹅)(Left), Huābiān yā (花边鸭)(Right)>
Points to Note When Buying Chinese Down
China is so large that the quality and characteristics of down collected in each region vary, and this results in there being differences in the purchasing and processing methods. Therefore, it is advisable for buyers to make sure that the cooperating down suppliers have good raw materials picking ability and processing-related know-how according to the characteristics of each species, based on an understanding of different species and breeding environments. Whether a supplier possesses such skills can be ascertained by checking data on whether a supplier has proven inspection capabilities allowing for accurate assessment of down quality and production efficiency, and checking records on facilities owned by the supplier and the management and maintenance status of those facilities.
PRAUDEN has strategic partnerships with excellent suppliers in various regions of China. With 40 years of accumulated know-how, we receive high-grade raw materials at the right times and manufacture products of the highest possible quality while reflecting the characteristics of each region.
By Lee Mi-ra, Sourcing Part, PRAUDEN
