World meat industry news

The countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, will switch to communicating data on livestock breeding via electronic data interchange. The rules were adopted by the Board of Eurasian Economic Commission (BEEC) on April 26, 2022.

The document adopted by the BEEC is entitled “On approval of the general rules for “Development, maintenance and application of a collective data on breeding animals and selection achievements in livestock breeding”.   

The new rules provide for the creation and maintenance of two electronic databases. The first one containing information on breeding animals, including data on their productivity, breeding value, place of birth, genetic diseases, and other relevant data. It fact, this can be considered an electronic version of the cattle passport.   

The second database will include information on selection achievements, such as breeds, types, lines and crosses of farm animals bred in EAEU countries, as well as livestock productivity, data on stud farms, breeding achievements, developers and cattle assessment results.   

“Implementation of the common process will provide for an increase in breeding products trade between the EAEU countries and direct purchases without intermediaries. Keeping in mind the importance and relevance of digitalizing EAEU processes, this project will contribute to breeding data collection and use in analytic or selection activities in farm animal breeding,” the website of the Commission quoted Armen Harutyunyan, the Director of the EEC Agro-Industrial Policy Department as saying in a statement.   

According to EEC experts, the electronic data exchange will provide for better quality, and add to reliability of information on breeding animals, moved between member countries. It will also contribute to general awareness on the breeds, types, lines, and crosses of farm animals bred in the Union.