Female dairy farmer gets death sentence for poisoning rival's milk

A FEMALE dairy farmer has been sentenced to death for poisoning the milk of her competitor in northwest Gansu Province, leaving three infants dead and another 32 hospitalized.

The woman, Ma Xiuling, poured toxic nitrite into the milk produced by rival famer Ma Wenxuan in April out of jealousy over his superior products. Her helper Wu Guangquan, who was ordered to purchase the chemicals, was jailed to life, China News Service reported yesterday.

Pingliang City Intermediate People's Court convicted the two people of using dangerous substances to harm others. They have appealed to the court ruling, the report said.

Ma Xiuling and her helper run a local diary farm, but residents preferred milk produced by Ma Wenxuan's diary farm. She decided to use nitrite, a food addictive in salted meat, to deteriorate Ma Wenxuan's milk quality and his fame.

Thirty-nine children, most of them under 14 years old, were affected after drinking the milk on April 7. Three babies died later with the youngest being only 36 days old.

The two diary farms were shut down shortly after the incident.