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A Giant Farm In China Breeds 6 Billion Cockroaches A Year For Cutting Edge Medicinal Research

The biggest of these is in Xichang in China¡¯s Sichuan province, raising six billion cockroaches a year, more than the human population of the entire world. All for a ¡°healing potion¡± being consumed by millions of patients in China.
Gwyn D'Mello Updated on Apr 19, 2018, 17:29 IST

To you, cockroaches may be a pest, just creepy crawlies that deserve to be stepped on. But for a lot of people in China, roaches are also medicinal. That¡¯s why the country breeds billions of them in farms all year round.

The biggest of these is in Xichang in China¡¯s Sichuan province, raising six billion cockroaches a year, more than the human population of the entire world. All for a ¡°healing potion¡± being consumed by millions of patients in China, according to the government.

China actually has many cockroach breeding farms, but none so large as the one in Xichang. Close to 28,000 roaches are produced per square foot each year, according to the South China Morning Post, living off open containers of food and water purposely left lying around on shelves across the facility. The place is kept pitch dark and humid throughout the year, ideal situations for the roaches to breed. The only time the insects see light is when a human switches on a torch to find their way through the facility.

Humans take a backseat

The most interesting thing, however, is that the entire facility is monitored by an artificial intelligence system. It¡¯s constantly collecting and analysing data across 80 categories, including humidity, temperature, food supply and consumption. The system even keeps track of the genetic mutations seen in the roaches, and how these affect population growth rates. And as it continues to work, the AI just keep getting better at tracking these changes from year to year.

The farm is operated by a local pharmaceutical company called the Good Doctor Pharmaceutical Group and supervised by human workers. Whenever an employee has to enter the facility, they need to put on a sanitised insulation suit. Not so much to protect themselves, but to avoid bringing in pollutants or pathogens that could interfere with the roaches breeding. In fact, there are very few humans in the place at all, SCMP¡¯s article says. ¡°On shelves, floors and ceiling, the cockroaches were everywhere. Hold your breath and [you] only hear a rustling sound.¡±

Balancing on a knife edge

If that doesn¡¯t already terrify you maybe this next bit will. Because six billion roaches in one space isn¡¯t just disgusting, it¡¯s also horrifyingly dangerous. Scientists say that, if the roach population were ever to be released into the wild by an accident or natural disaster, it would be a ¡°catastrophe¡±. Cockroaches breed dizzyingly fast in a warm, wet climate, which Xichang has plenty off. In fact, researchers say just a dozen let loose could infest an entire neighbourhood.

Aside from that, there¡¯s also the fear that the accelerated reproduction and genetic screening taking place on the farm could be speeding up the insect¡¯s revolution. We could end up with ¡°super roaches¡±, ones much larger than we¡¯re used to and capable of breeding even faster than ever before. And that¡¯s not a statement to make lightly. After all, Cockroaches are already estimated to have been around since the dinosaurs, which means they¡¯re already superbug freaks of nature.

Show me the money

Apparently though, the risks are worth it for China. Over the years,? the Xichang farm alone has generated about $684 million in revenue, all from the medicinal ¡°cockroach juice¡± they manufacture. This is done by tossing full-size roaches into machines that grind them up and turn them into a paste. Supposedly, this potion is much sought after in the country for its healing properties, particularly for gastrointestinal and respiratory treatment. A single 200ml bottle costs more than $8.

That doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s universally approved of, even in China. In fact, the medicine¡¯s ingredient only has a single name: Periplata Americana, the Latin name for the common cockroach. Most people go their whole lives never knowing what¡¯s in the magic drink, but you can bet those who do agree it¡¯s disgusting, even if they still swear by its effectiveness.

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