Nowadays, in the streets and alleys of many cities, as well as in large supermarkets, roasted duck priced at 19.9 yuan is sizzling and emitting an enticing aroma, attracting diners to stop and buy. At the same time, a batch of roast duck roll specialty restaurants are emerging in multiple cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen, and Nanjing. These stores specialize in roasted duck rolls, which are topped with a thin layer of cake and then coated with various sauces. The price of a large roll is usually less than 20 yuan, making it a "duck circle honey snow ice city".

However, this surprisingly cheap price inevitably raises doubts: Is there something wrong with this meat? Or did it add any technology or brute force?

Cost and income are linked inversely. It is a money losing business all over the world, but only the Chinese people have made it an industrial miracle. Behind this lies an industrial chain that even the United States cannot match.

What exactly is going on here?

Cherry Valley Duck Hanging Mackenzie Chicken
Why does it have to be a duck?

There is a saying in the upstream aquaculture field: 'It's better to be a duck than a chicken.'.

You may still remember the white feathered chicken used by KFC and McDonald's, which accounts for over 90% of global broiler production and is a scientifically validated and efficient source of protein. White feathered chickens can usually be slaughtered in about 40 days, which is not as fast as the "legend" suggests. It is stimulated by hormones and does not allow Mackenzie chickens to grow the terrifying four pairs of wings. In fact, it is the result of genetic breeding and industrial breeding.

On the contrary, compared with free range chickens, the breeding standards for white feathered chickens are much stricter, and the feed requirements are also higher, which belongs to large-scale breeding.

The feed conversion rate of modern broiler chickens is astonishingly high. Data shows that on average, white feathered broiler chickens only need 1.7-1.8 kilograms of feed to gain 1 kilogram, while traditional chickens may require 3-4 kilograms of feed to achieve the same effect. This highly efficient "foodie" ability, combined with specific growth genes, creates their astonishing growth rate.

In fact, it is a common phenomenon for broiler chickens to be released from their cages after more than 40 days worldwide. At present, the slaughter age of commercial broiler chickens around the world is mostly concentrated between 42 and 48 days, with around 45 days of age being the most common.

However, just when you thought KFC McDonald's white feathered chicken was fast enough, the magic of Chinese roast duck is even more astonishing.

At present, the duck used in supermarkets and street sales of roasted duck is called "Cherry Valley Duck", which has a production capacity and efficiency that completely surpasses that of white feathered chickens.

Famous Beijing roast duck restaurants such as Da Dong, Si Ji Min Fu, and Quan Ju De use Beijing duck. Beijing ducks are known for their thick subcutaneous fat. During the fattening stage, sometimes Beijing ducks are artificially fed with feed to make the subcutaneous fat thicker and achieve the required level of fat for roasted duck. However, ducks can take as short as two months or as long as six months to be served, and the cost and cycle of raising them determine their high value.

But now, cherry valley duck is used for street and supermarket roast duck, and the white feathered chicken used by the two giants, Mackenzie and others, can be used as a substitute, which is a type of white feathered duck. In 2022 and the first half of 2023, the output of Cherry Valley ducks has accounted for 60.50% of China's white feathered meat duck market, becoming the absolute mainstream.

Cherry Valley ducks not only have a fast growth cycle, high lean meat percentage, and are suitable for large-scale farming, but also have symmetrical lines that are suitable for modern assembly line segmentation. The feed conversion rate of Cherry Valley ducks is astonishingly high - about 2 pounds of feed can convert 1 pound of duck meat, which is 50% more efficient than pig farming. The duck meat roasted with it is very fresh and tender, almost stuffed with buffs, making it a perfect choice for meat ducks.

At the same time, the white feathered chicken was slaughtered in 45 days and weighed just over 5 pounds; But in the same 45 days, a Cherry Valley duck can easily weigh over 6 pounds.

As for the rumors about hormone abuse on the internet, there is no need to worry. Cherry Valley ducks have strong disease resistance and do not require additional use of hormones. In addition, the price of hormones is high, and the procedures of feeding, injection, and subcutaneous embedding are also quite cumbersome. Therefore, considering these risks and costs, few farmers would be willing to take the risk of using hormones to raise meat ducks.

Furthermore, a single street roast duck weighs only about one kilogram, so there is no need to use six kilograms of duck at all. So farmers have adopted specialized breeding standards, and in less than 25 days, they can quickly produce lightweight athletes weighing around 3 pounds.

In other words, the turnover rate of raising Cherry Valley ducks with the same amount of money is 1.8 times that of raising white feathered chickens.

The higher the upstream turnover rate, the lower the downstream production and sales costs. A roast duck priced at 19.9 yuan suddenly becomes reasonable.

How cruel is it to squeeze a duck dry?
The victory of Chinese roast duck goes far beyond upstream duck farming.

In the 1980s, China's duck industry chain was still fragmented.

Individual operators in the duck business raise their own ducks, and the cost is so high that farmers can't afford it.

It was not until a group of invisible champions rushed into the arena and completed the meticulous splitting of the "duck" style of the "pot ding" that the duck was transformed from being sold as a whole to being sold separately.

In many countries, the fate of a duck can be somewhat "bleak". After collecting duck down and removing the duck breast and legs, the remaining parts often have to be used as raw materials for pet food, or even as fertilizer for composting.

But in China, ducks are the most thoroughly developed animal.

A white duck can be slaughtered in just 30 days. After the duck is raised, it first obtains the most precious duck down, instantly doubling its value. By 2024, China's down production will account for about 80% of the world's total.

Next, the remaining parts of the duck need to be further finely processed. "One duck is divided into eight pieces," all of which are cut into "golden parts," and the duck tongue, neck, liver, and heart are made into braised dishes; Duck liver exported and sold overseas; Send duck intestines and blood to a hotpot restaurant; Even duck bones can be made into collagen peptides.

Each part is a walking printing machine, and these are the truly high profit parts.

The duck down contributed by a duck can be sold for 50 yuan; Duck tongue and duck neck combined cost over 30 yuan; The visceral export is another wave of harvesting. When all parts of the duck are "squeezed dry", the remaining duck meat becomes the least valuable scrap. The price of duck embryos only accounts for 25% of the whole duck, and the wholesale price per duck is as low as 7-8 yuan. Even if rent and labor are included, you can still earn more than enough by selling them for 20 yuan each.

This extreme operation of "bone and meat removal" has led to a geometric increase in the value of the entire duck. A crispy duck priced at 25 yuan has a profit margin as high as 36%.

Just like the "blade model" in the shaver industry, razor racks are sold at low prices and profit is made from the blades; For example, the printer industry sells printers at low prices and makes money from ink cartridges. The duck industry chain has fully utilized the model of the razor and printer industry, achieving "multiple sales of one duck" through the ultimate development of various parts of the duck, and making every link profitable.

Nowadays, from breeding to processing to sales, a highly efficient industrial chain has been formed behind low-priced roasted duck.

Taking Huaya Group as an example, the duck slaughter industry has evolved from the initial workshop style slaughter to the current high standardization.

In the intelligent duck shed in Shandong, just one breeder can manage 60000 ducks per day; In modern duck factories in Henan, 9 ducks can be slaughtered every second.

This efficiency advantage is further amplified under the regional industrial cluster effect.

The meat duck breeding base in Linyi, Shandong has formed a complete industrial chain from breeding, slaughtering, processing to sales, with close cooperation between each link, reducing losses and costs in every intermediate link.

This is like the technology industry cluster in Silicon Valley, where numerous technology companies gather together to form a strong synergistic effect, driving the comprehensive development of the entire industry.

Theology of Turning Waste into Treasure
At present, to what extent has duck processing in China been subdivided?

The types of duck embryos include frozen duck carcasses that have been cleaned and processed, which are convenient for baking in the kitchen; Grilled finished duck skewers and sliced roasted duck products eliminate the need for the restaurant's kitchen to prepare sliced duck and roasted duck; The family version of roasted duck is now available in supermarkets such as Hema, and there is also a civilian version of roasted duck set meal, making it easy for cooking novices to make and taste roasted duck.

Roast duck is no longer just a dish that costs one or two hundred yuan, but can become a part of people's daily diet. If you want something high-end, you can go and savor Beijing roast duck; For those who want affordable prices, you can have a happiness of 19.9 yuan.

The combination of factors such as a large population, a large market, and intense competition is the only way to create this efficient and extensive manufacturing model, which is a unique competitive advantage of China. It stimulates the continuous updating and iteration of the entire supply chain, breaks through technological bottlenecks, and moves towards high-end fields. To gather all these elements, it may be difficult for any country in the world, except for China, to achieve.

Similar cases of turning waste into treasure are already numerous in China.

The crayfish that foreigners disdain have not only been widely farmed in China, but have also become the king of late night snacks; Shrimp brain made into seasoning sauce; Even shrimp shells are extracted from chitin to make artificial skin. Qianjiang, Hubei Province is now the world's largest chitin industry base. Looking at foreigners, Norwegian salmon lacks extraction technology, and only 10% of its head, tail, and internal organs can be used for pet feed production, while the rest can only be discarded.

Corn cobs were directly burned and buried in the United States, while China transformed them into xylitol, activated carbon, and cat litter through a supporting deep processing system, and exported them globally. Tang and Tang from Jinan are currently the only companies in the world that can achieve continuous production from corn cobs to xylitol in the same factory. By 2024, xylitol production capacity will account for 30% of the global total.

The most outrageous thing is that while Europeans and Americans are still struggling with carbon emissions, the despised gutter oil and household waste can also be turned into treasures in China.

In Shanghai, the world's first 100000 ton biomass green methanol project was completed at the beginning of this year, and the raw materials for methanol production are all wet garbage and livestock manure from Shanghai city; In Shaanxi, a 100000 ton sustainable aviation fuel project is being constructed to directly convert gutter oil into aviation fuel.

As for the issue of household waste, ordinary people may find it even harder to imagine. A few years ago, China was still worried about the city being surrounded by garbage, but now it is worrying about "not enough garbage". With the strengthening of the construction of waste to energy plants in China, household waste is now in high demand. Due to a shortage of waste, waste to energy plants are generally unable to generate full power, and some power plants even have to start digging up previously buried waste. So, the development of the industrial chain has further extended to the efficient collection of rural garbage.

Garbage has been made into a deep industrial chain by the Chinese people.

From the "world factory" to the "global waste alchemist", the word "make the best use of everything" has been clearly played by the Chinese people. Clear division of labor, zero waste, cost compression, and value amplification are the core competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing - deep collaboration and ultimate division of labor in the industrial chain.

conclusion
Rather than calling it a victory of roasted duck, it is more accurate to say that this is a true portrayal of China's industrial transformation from decay to magic. In the eyes of the Chinese, there is no waste, only treasure that has not been fully developed.

When European and American supermarkets throw away entire duck racks, Chinese factories are using the ultimate industrial alchemy to make every duck "die in its place".

When the world is squandering, we are creating; When others see a sea of 'waste', we see a sea of 'future'.

Nowadays, in the streets and alleys of many cities, as well as in large supermarkets, roasted duck priced at 19.9 yuan is sizzling and emitting an enticing aroma, attracting diners to stop and buy. At the same time, a batch of roast duck roll specialty restaurants are emerging in multiple cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen, and Nanjing. These stores specialize in roasted duck rolls, which are topped with a thin layer of cake and then coated with various sauces. The price of a large roll is usually less than 20 yuan, making it a "duck circle honey snow ice city".

However, this surprisingly cheap price inevitably raises doubts: Is there something wrong with this meat? Or did it add any technology or brute force?

Cost and income are linked inversely. It is a money losing business all over the world, but only the Chinese people have made it an industrial miracle. Behind this lies an industrial chain that even the United States cannot match.

What exactly is going on here?

Cherry Valley Duck Hanging Mackenzie Chicken
Why does it have to be a duck?

There is a saying in the upstream aquaculture field: 'It's better to be a duck than a chicken.'.

You may still remember the white feathered chicken used by KFC and McDonald's, which accounts for over 90% of global broiler production and is a scientifically validated and efficient source of protein. White feathered chickens can usually be slaughtered in about 40 days, which is not as fast as the "legend" suggests. It is stimulated by hormones and does not allow Mackenzie chickens to grow the terrifying four pairs of wings. In fact, it is the result of genetic breeding and industrial breeding.

On the contrary, compared with free range chickens, the breeding standards for white feathered chickens are much stricter, and the feed requirements are also higher, which belongs to large-scale breeding.

The feed conversion rate of modern broiler chickens is astonishingly high. Data shows that on average, white feathered broiler chickens only need 1.7-1.8 kilograms of feed to gain 1 kilogram, while traditional chickens may require 3-4 kilograms of feed to achieve the same effect. This highly efficient "foodie" ability, combined with specific growth genes, creates their astonishing growth rate.

In fact, it is a common phenomenon for broiler chickens to be released from their cages after more than 40 days worldwide. At present, the slaughter age of commercial broiler chickens around the world is mostly concentrated between 42 and 48 days, with around 45 days of age being the most common.

However, just when you thought KFC McDonald's white feathered chicken was fast enough, the magic of Chinese roast duck is even more astonishing.

At present, the duck used in supermarkets and street sales of roasted duck is called "Cherry Valley Duck", which has a production capacity and efficiency that completely surpasses that of white feathered chickens.

Famous Beijing roast duck restaurants such as Da Dong, Si Ji Min Fu, and Quan Ju De use Beijing duck. Beijing ducks are known for their thick subcutaneous fat. During the fattening stage, sometimes Beijing ducks are artificially fed with feed to make the subcutaneous fat thicker and achieve the required level of fat for roasted duck. However, ducks can take as short as two months or as long as six months to be served, and the cost and cycle of raising them determine their high value.

But now, cherry valley duck is used for street and supermarket roast duck, and the white feathered chicken used by the two giants, Mackenzie and others, can be used as a substitute, which is a type of white feathered duck. In 2022 and the first half of 2023, the output of Cherry Valley ducks has accounted for 60.50% of China's white feathered meat duck market, becoming the absolute mainstream.

Cherry Valley ducks not only have a fast growth cycle, high lean meat percentage, and are suitable for large-scale farming, but also have symmetrical lines that are suitable for modern assembly line segmentation. The feed conversion rate of Cherry Valley ducks is astonishingly high - about 2 pounds of feed can convert 1 pound of duck meat, which is 50% more efficient than pig farming. The duck meat roasted with it is very fresh and tender, almost stuffed with buffs, making it a perfect choice for meat ducks.

At the same time, the white feathered chicken was slaughtered in 45 days and weighed just over 5 pounds; But in the same 45 days, a Cherry Valley duck can easily weigh over 6 pounds.

As for the rumors about hormone abuse on the internet, there is no need to worry. Cherry Valley ducks have strong disease resistance and do not require additional use of hormones. In addition, the price of hormones is high, and the procedures of feeding, injection, and subcutaneous embedding are also quite cumbersome. Therefore, considering these risks and costs, few farmers would be willing to take the risk of using hormones to raise meat ducks.

Furthermore, a single street roast duck weighs only about one kilogram, so there is no need to use six kilograms of duck at all. So farmers have adopted specialized breeding standards, and in less than 25 days, they can quickly produce lightweight athletes weighing around 3 pounds.

In other words, the turnover rate of raising Cherry Valley ducks with the same amount of money is 1.8 times that of raising white feathered chickens.

The higher the upstream turnover rate, the lower the downstream production and sales costs. A roast duck priced at 19.9 yuan suddenly becomes reasonable.

How cruel is it to squeeze a duck dry?
The victory of Chinese roast duck goes far beyond upstream duck farming.

In the 1980s, China's duck industry chain was still fragmented.

Individual operators in the duck business raise their own ducks, and the cost is so high that farmers can't afford it.

It was not until a group of invisible champions rushed into the arena and completed the meticulous splitting of the "duck" style of the "pot ding" that the duck was transformed from being sold as a whole to being sold separately.

In many countries, the fate of a duck can be somewhat "bleak". After collecting duck down and removing the duck breast and legs, the remaining parts often have to be used as raw materials for pet food, or even as fertilizer for composting.

But in China, ducks are the most thoroughly developed animal.

A white duck can be slaughtered in just 30 days. After the duck is raised, it first obtains the most precious duck down, instantly doubling its value. By 2024, China's down production will account for about 80% of the world's total.

Next, the remaining parts of the duck need to be further finely processed. "One duck is divided into eight pieces," all of which are cut into "golden parts," and the duck tongue, neck, liver, and heart are made into braised dishes; Duck liver exported and sold overseas; Send duck intestines and blood to a hotpot restaurant; Even duck bones can be made into collagen peptides.

Each part is a walking printing machine, and these are the truly high profit parts.

The duck down contributed by a duck can be sold for 50 yuan; Duck tongue and duck neck combined cost over 30 yuan; The visceral export is another wave of harvesting. When all parts of the duck are "squeezed dry", the remaining duck meat becomes the least valuable scrap. The price of duck embryos only accounts for 25% of the whole duck, and the wholesale price per duck is as low as 7-8 yuan. Even if rent and labor are included, you can still earn more than enough by selling them for 20 yuan each.

This extreme operation of "bone and meat removal" has led to a geometric increase in the value of the entire duck. A crispy duck priced at 25 yuan has a profit margin as high as 36%.

Just like the "blade model" in the shaver industry, razor racks are sold at low prices and profit is made from the blades; For example, the printer industry sells printers at low prices and makes money from ink cartridges. The duck industry chain has fully utilized the model of the razor and printer industry, achieving "multiple sales of one duck" through the ultimate development of various parts of the duck, and making every link profitable.

Nowadays, from breeding to processing to sales, a highly efficient industrial chain has been formed behind low-priced roasted duck.

Taking Huaya Group as an example, the duck slaughter industry has evolved from the initial workshop style slaughter to the current high standardization.

In the intelligent duck shed in Shandong, just one breeder can manage 60000 ducks per day; In modern duck factories in Henan, 9 ducks can be slaughtered every second.

This efficiency advantage is further amplified under the regional industrial cluster effect.

The meat duck breeding base in Linyi, Shandong has formed a complete industrial chain from breeding, slaughtering, processing to sales, with close cooperation between each link, reducing losses and costs in every intermediate link.

This is like the technology industry cluster in Silicon Valley, where numerous technology companies gather together to form a strong synergistic effect, driving the comprehensive development of the entire industry.

Theology of Turning Waste into Treasure
At present, to what extent has duck processing in China been subdivided?

The types of duck embryos include frozen duck carcasses that have been cleaned and processed, which are convenient for baking in the kitchen; Grilled finished duck skewers and sliced roasted duck products eliminate the need for the restaurant's kitchen to prepare sliced duck and roasted duck; The family version of roasted duck is now available in supermarkets such as Hema, and there is also a civilian version of roasted duck set meal, making it easy for cooking novices to make and taste roasted duck.

Roast duck is no longer just a dish that costs one or two hundred yuan, but can become a part of people's daily diet. If you want something high-end, you can go and savor Beijing roast duck; For those who want affordable prices, you can have a happiness of 19.9 yuan.

The combination of factors such as a large population, a large market, and intense competition is the only way to create this efficient and extensive manufacturing model, which is a unique competitive advantage of China. It stimulates the continuous updating and iteration of the entire supply chain, breaks through technological bottlenecks, and moves towards high-end fields. To gather all these elements, it may be difficult for any country in the world, except for China, to achieve.

Similar cases of turning waste into treasure are already numerous in China.

The crayfish that foreigners disdain have not only been widely farmed in China, but have also become the king of late night snacks; Shrimp brain made into seasoning sauce; Even shrimp shells are extracted from chitin to make artificial skin. Qianjiang, Hubei Province is now the world's largest chitin industry base. Looking at foreigners, Norwegian salmon lacks extraction technology, and only 10% of its head, tail, and internal organs can be used for pet feed production, while the rest can only be discarded.

Corn cobs were directly burned and buried in the United States, while China transformed them into xylitol, activated carbon, and cat litter through a supporting deep processing system, and exported them globally. Tang and Tang from Jinan are currently the only companies in the world that can achieve continuous production from corn cobs to xylitol in the same factory. By 2024, xylitol production capacity will account for 30% of the global total.

The most outrageous thing is that while Europeans and Americans are still struggling with carbon emissions, the despised gutter oil and household waste can also be turned into treasures in China.

In Shanghai, the world's first 100000 ton biomass green methanol project was completed at the beginning of this year, and the raw materials for methanol production are all wet garbage and livestock manure from Shanghai city; In Shaanxi, a 100000 ton sustainable aviation fuel project is being constructed to directly convert gutter oil into aviation fuel.

As for the issue of household waste, ordinary people may find it even harder to imagine. A few years ago, China was still worried about the city being surrounded by garbage, but now it is worrying about "not enough garbage". With the strengthening of the construction of waste to energy plants in China, household waste is now in high demand. Due to a shortage of waste, waste to energy plants are generally unable to generate full power, and some power plants even have to start digging up previously buried waste. So, the development of the industrial chain has further extended to the efficient collection of rural garbage.

Garbage has been made into a deep industrial chain by the Chinese people.

From the "world factory" to the "global waste alchemist", the word "make the best use of everything" has been clearly played by the Chinese people. Clear division of labor, zero waste, cost compression, and value amplification are the core competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing - deep collaboration and ultimate division of labor in the industrial chain.

conclusion
Rather than calling it a victory of roasted duck, it is more accurate to say that this is a true portrayal of China's industrial transformation from decay to magic. In the eyes of the Chinese, there is no waste, only treasure that has not been fully developed.

When European and American supermarkets throw away entire duck racks, Chinese factories are using the ultimate industrial alchemy to make every duck "die in its place".

When the world is squandering, we are creating; When others see a sea of 'waste', we see a sea of 'future'.