Pet economy booms in Xingtai, N China's Hebei

A livestreamer of a pet food company sells products via a livestream show in Nanhe district, Xingtai city, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo/Chen Lei)

In Nanhe district, Xingtai city, north China's Hebei Province, pet-themed elements adorn the streets. Delicate sculptures of cats and dogs, either sitting or running, are endearing; vividly colored parrot road signs add vitality and fun to the city. Eye-catching landmarks such as the "Pet Trading Market" and "Pet Product Outlets" and many pet life experience centers and pet food stores are along the streets.

The pet economy has become the crown jewel of Nanhe district, and it is now known as China's "home of pet food".

"Our district accounts for over 60 percent of the country's market share in pet food production and sales. We're also the nation's largest cat litter production base, making up 30 percent of the national total," said Lu Ruijing, head of the district's agriculture and rural affairs bureau.

The district has formed a complete industrial chain for the pet industry, dominated by pet food and encompassing sub-sectors ranging from pet supplies, pet breeding, and pet services, Lu added.

A customer selects pet food at north China's largest exhibition and sales area for products in the pet industry, which is located in Nanhe district, Xingtai city, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo/Chen Lei)

Nanhe is now home to over 11,000 pet-related business entities, including 47 large-scale pet food enterprises, 44 cat litter companies, 150 pet supply companies, and 95 upstream and downstream firms in the pet industry. Last year, the pet food industrial cluster in the district raked in a staggering 17.2 billion yuan ($2.45 billion) in revenue.

To boost the scale and strength of the pet industry, the district has rolled out a series of supportive policies.

It has attracted investments across the pet industrial chain, nurturing businesses in pet supplies, veterinary medicine, pet toys, pet clothing, and pet beds. It has a pet industrial park spanning 6.1 square kilometers, set to form an industrial cluster for exhibitions, production, entrepreneurial services, commerce, and leisure tourism.

At present, the pet economy has become a big job creator, with more than 9,300 e-commerce and marketing businesses in the pet industry in Nanhe employing over 100,000 people.

Pet food commodities are being moved by robots in a pet food company in Nanhe district, Xingtai city, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo/Chen Lei)

Beyond pet food, Nanhe has seen rapid growth in cat litter, pet bed, and pet clothing sectors. The district's eco-friendly cat litters have gained great popularity worldwide, finding markets in countries including South Korea, Japan, and Australia.

Over the past few years, the district has been pushing for brand building, technological innovation, and market expansion. In particular, it has attached great importance to the cultivation of internationally recognized brands to expand the visibility and influence of its pet industry.

Nanhe has established a pet food quality supervision and inspection center and a monitoring and tracking platform to ensure the safety and quality of products in the pet industry. The creation of a collective trademark called "Nanhe Pet Industry" and a regional public brand named "Nanhe Dog and Cat Food" has further solidified the district's reputation.

Currently, Nanhe boasts one famous trademark of China and nine reputed trademarks of Hebei Province in the pet food sector. Seven companies in the district have passed the certification of ISO9001 and ISO22000 quality management systems, with a total of 12 valid certificates.

A worker works on a production line of a pet food company in Nanhe district, Xingtai city, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo/Chen Lei)

The district has successfully hosted the Nanhe pet industry expo for six consecutive years, attracting over 1,300 exhibitors from home and abroad, with a total transaction value of more than 20 billion yuan.

Nanhe has also been reaching out to international markets, holding events with countries like Uruguay and Brazil. In 2023, the district organized local companies to participate in the Pet Expo Thailand, securing deals worth over 100 million yuan.

In addition, Nanhe has been tapping into pet tourism, launching a themed tour route and building attractions including a pet park and a pet museum. It has set up north China's largest exhibition and sales area for products in the pet industry, which has become a draw for tourists and consumers alike.

In recent years, Nanhe has promoted the digital transformation of the pet food sector, involving the whole process from the procurement of raw materials, production of the product and sales support, providing one-stop services for the development of the sector.

To build itself into China's capital of the pet industry with international influence at an accelerated pace, Nanhe has set an ambitious goal of increasing the revenue of the pet food industrial cluster to more than 70 billion yuan by 2035.