Zhang Wenhan, head of the Ningcheng Cat Litter Industry Association, said that the cat litter business in Ningcheng is promising.

"The local industry started at a relatively early stage. The county boasts mature technology and rich natural resources, which conform to the development basis of the industry. The county has established an industry association, and held the first industry conference, constantly enhancing its industrial influence. In addition, the local government has included cat litter industry development into the government work plan, and has been optimizing the business environment. There are vast business opportunities," Zhang said.

He said the pet economy in China is still at an initial stage, and the annual growth rate of the market over the past five years has surpassed 10 percent. During the pandemic, the growth rate was as high as over 20 percent.

"With the increasingly graying society, the continuous increase of urbanization rates in China, and backed by the development and scale of overseas pet markets, the sector in China is expected to grow rapidly," Zhang added.

According to a recent report jointly issued by the National Technical Committee on Pet of Standardization Administration, the China Pet Industry Association, the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association and Beijing-based pet platform Pethadoop, China is now the world's second-largest pet market, with the urban pet market worth some 279.3 billion yuan in 2023, up 3.2 percent on a yearly basis. The pet canine market in cities in 2023 rose 0.9 percent year-on-year, while the pet feline sector grew 6 percent.

In 2023, the number of pet dogs nationwide totaled 51.75 million, up 1.1 percent on a yearly basis. Meanwhile, pet cats reached 69.8 million, 6.8 percent higher than the 2022 total.

According to the report, post-1990s and post-1980s pet owners were still the main consumption demographic in the sector, with the number of post-1990s and post-1980s pet owners growing 2.1 percentage points and 10.8 percentage points, respectively.

With the market boom, Zhang suggested the area grasp business opportunities and tap into the cat litter market.

"Taking advantage of the local high-quality bentonite resources, and making full use of the Ningcheng Cat Litter Industry Association, we should further explore business opportunities in the pet economy, and make Ningcheng a renowned spot for cat litter and the pet economy," he said.

According to a guideline issued by the bureau of industry and information technology in Ningcheng, it plans to invest 1 billion yuan to build a national-level cat litter technology industry park, which is estimated to take up 800 mu (5.33 hectares) and produce over 600,000 tons of cat litter annually.

Meanwhile, it plans to join 32 cat litter enterprises in the area to establish an industry association, register for a Ningcheng cat litter geographical indication trademark, and set up an industry standard for bentonite cat litter.

Chen Qiang, head of the bureau, said: "We will strengthen technological support, enhance product quality, effectively solve the problem of cat litter export tax refunds, vigorously develop the sector, and actively organize enterprises to participate in exhibitions to promote the development of the cat litter business in Ningcheng."

Contact the writers at zhengyiran@chinadaily.com.cn