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It was pointed to insufficient organization of breeding, which results in the Northern domestic deer livestock shrinking and which affects the safety of the adult livestock

YAKUTSK, March 10. /TASS/. Yakutia’s scientists suggest organizing in the region a deer-breeding selection-genetic center to improve the Northern domestic deer breeds, representative of Yakutia’s Safronov Institute of Agriculture Nikolay Vinokurov told TASS.

The expert pointed to insufficient organization of breeding, which results in the Northern domestic deer livestock shrinking and which affects the safety of the adult livestock.

"The state support to organize a deer selection-genetic center will mean the sector’s innovative development, high competitive abilities and effectiveness, thus will grow the livestock in agricultural companies and in the family businesses of the North, Siberia and Far East low-numbered indigenous peoples, as well as bigger amounts of high-quality breeding products to be sold on the domestic market, and the center will bring to the highest level the selection, based on genetic selection methods," the expert said.

According to him, such a center will carry out genetic monitoring of herds, genetic examination of deer to see how they can resist various diseases. The center will work to create new breeds and types of domestic deer that will be adapted to Yakutia’s various climate zones. Additionally, the center will conduct breeding inside the Even, Evenk and Chukchi deer breeds to improve adaptive qualities. Such measures will accelerate the meat and antler productivity of domestic deer.

Breeding

Yakutia uses three deer breeds - Even, Evenk and Chukchi. The Even breeding area spreads from the Sea of Okhotsk shores to the East Siberian Sea and the Laptev Sea. The largest population of the Even breed is in the north-eastern agricultural zone, where the total land area is 87.65 million hectares.

"A promising direction in the region is to have the Even breed’s mountain-taiga intra-breed type," the scientist said. "During this work, specialists will analyze the genetic structure to reveal genetic shifts within the herds, and will take into account rare genotypes in order to preserve them to obtain the desired deer type for the mountain-taiga climate zone."

An important reserve of productivity and bigger meat production is an optimal herd structure. "As we can see, large herds are not effective," the expert continued. "In the forest-tundra and tundra zones, the herds are recommended to have 800-1,000 deer, in the mountain-taiga zone - 500-600 animals, in the taiga zone - 300-400 animals."

Since the herds are rather isolated, closely related crossing cannot be excluded. "Related breeding entails a decrease in productivity. Therefore, the recommendation is to exchange males between herds and farms periodically, without ignoring veterinary well-being related to infectious diseases," the scientist said.

Every spring and autumn, he continued, the herds must be sorted for veterinary purposes to select best animals, to conduct preventive measures and to count all age and gender groups.

Sector development

Yakutia’s 20 in 34 districts breed Northern domestic deer. As of early 2022, the total amount of animals in the region exceeded 162,000 (a 3% growth against 2020).

Deer breeding in the region is not just an agricultural sector; it is the base of life and lifestyle, culture and traditions of the North’s indigenous peoples. Yakutia pays great attention to improving state incentives - first of all, in bigger financial support.

In 2022, the region’s support grew by 237 million rubles ($1.7 million) - to 1.045 billion rubles ($7.3 million). Yakutia develops the Young Deer Herder program to stimulate the youth. Under this program, young people, who have worked at least for four years, receive 1 million rubles ($7,000) to buy or build houses in the Arctic or Northern districts. In 2022, the local budget will pay 20 million rubles ($140,000) to young herders.

The regional budget has planned funds to upgrade production facilities - more than 78 million rubles ($545,000). These funds will be used to make new fencing, shade shelters and herder houses on the nomad routes.