HOHHOT, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Renowned for its agricultural prowess in the grain, vegetable and beef cattle industries, the small northern Chinese county of Ningcheng has discovered a new market niche: cat litter.

Ningcheng is located in Chifeng City of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It has abundant bentonite resources and is home to over 40 bentonite processing enterprises, more than 30 of which are dedicated to cat litter production.

"Bentonite clay, with its strong water absorption and clumping properties, is an excellent raw material for producing cat litter and has emerged as a thriving sector in recent years," said Song Zhida, vice general manager of Ningcheng County Chongai Pet Products Co., Ltd.

Song's company is a pioneer in Ningcheng's cat litter industry. It all began in 2002, when a Japanese client approached the company's former factory manager, looking to utilize local resources for cat litter production.

"Since then, we have dedicated ourselves to research and development in this sector," Song said.

After over two decades of refinement, cat litter from Ningcheng has gained recognition at home and beyond.

In 2023, the county's cat litter industry had a production value of 900 million yuan (about 124.4 million U.S. dollars) and a tax revenue of approximately 70 million yuan.

With an annual production capacity of 1.5 million tonnes, representing two-thirds of the national bentonite cat litter output, Ningcheng's manufacturers collaborate with over 1,400 global brands, according to county chief Zhang Haixuan.

Locally produced cat litter has been exported to countries such as Japan, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Chile.

To enhance the industry further, Ningcheng is focusing on high-end and environmentally friendly products such as dust-free and water-soluble cat litter, while also promoting the development of the entire pet economy chain, with cat litter at the forefront of its plans.

Hu Zhiyuan, deputy director of the county's industry and information technology bureau, said that Ningcheng aims to introduce and cultivate projects related to pet necessities, toys, clothing and beds, based on its existing industrial foundation.

Ningcheng Xingmei Technology Co., Ltd. has invested over 80 million yuan in the construction of an internationally standardized cat litter production plant, which is expected to be operational in May this year.

"Strict quality control and product development will be at the core of our competitiveness in the future," said Zhang Wenhan, the company's general manager, who has studied abroad and sees great potential in China's pet economy.

According to an industry report, the urban pet (dogs and cats) consumption market in China grew to 279.3 billion yuan in 2023, up 3.2 percent from 2022. Specifically, the cat market saw 6 percent growth from the previous year.

"With continuous product development upgrades and the improvement of the industrial chain, high-quality, cost-effective Ningcheng cat litter will also gain more favor from cute pets at home and abroad," Zhang said. Enditem

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