World meat industry news

The Kuban authorities have decided to invest heavily in genomic selection of cattle. It is expected that in the next seven years, 408 million rubles will be allocated to create a regional genetic database and study the method of genomic selection in livestock breeding.

The project, based on genomic selection, is of strategic importance for the region. As part of the project, consent to participate has already been received from 13 breeding and commercial enterprises with a total cow population of more than 37 thousand heads. The project roadmap has already been approved and covers the period until 2027.

One of the key goals of the project is to study the genotype of all cows and bulls in agricultural organizations of the Krasnodar region. Based on these data, a regional genomic selection index will be developed to assess the ability of potential parents to transmit the desired qualities to their offspring. This will reduce the incidence and likelihood of birth defects in cattle, as well as increase the economic efficiency of animal breeding.

As part of the project, a regional genetic agricultural information and consultation center will also be created. This center will be equipped with a software package that allows it to process an array of genetic data and provide recommendations to farms on assigning sires to their herds. This approach will help improve the quality and productivity of livestock in the Kuban.

Krasnodar region is one of the leading producers of livestock products in Russia. It ranks third in terms of milk production in farms of all categories and second in production of marketable milk. In addition, the region is one of the five leaders in the production of livestock, poultry and eggs. Every year, Kuban produces about 1.5 million tons of milk, about 600 thousand tons of meat in live weight and 1.5 billion eggs.

The development of livestock farming in Kuban is a priority, and the region has developed a concept for its development for two five-year periods - until 2025 and until 2030. Investments in genomic selection of cattle are an important step forward that will help improve the quality of livestock, increase productivity and make livestock farming in the Kuban more competitive.