No doubt cockroaches are disgusting pests. But the same does not apply to all and it is a source of income for the people of China due to its medicinal values. Cockroaches are fried and eaten in many Asian countries, including China, but they are now being grown on a large scale.
Citing the reason, China breeds six billion adult cockroaches a year for medicinal use. People of China claimed that the cockroaches help in curing stomach aches and other ailments. The cockroaches have also been used in traditional Chinese medicines for thousands of years.
The largest cockroach farm is near Xichang, Sichuan, southwestern China, where it breeds six billion cockroaches a year. Run by the Good Doctor Pharmaceutical Group, the company uses artificial intelligence systems to monitor the conditions in the farm. This includes keeping them in dimly-lit spaces at around 30 degrees Celsius.
Depending on the purpose, cockroaches are often killed in vats of boiling water before being dried.
When a potion made of cockroaches is given to millions of people in China, has reportedly seen ‘remarkable effects’. According to a report, more than 40 million people have been cured of a variety of ailments after being prescribed the potion.
So, cockroaches are farmed here and 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.