News & Events in Belarus
Lukashenko: Belarus needs clear-cut program for red cattle breeding
MINSK, 14 July (BelTA) – It is important to draw up a program for breeding red cattle in Belarus, with clear-cut commitments and concrete performance indicators built into it, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has said as he visited the Ustye agricultural enterprise in Orsha District that is engaged in red cattle farming, BelTA has learned.
The history of red Danish cattle farming in Belarus began several years ago. At the request of farmers and researchers, 1,200 head of cattle were purchased in Denmark using budget funds. The plan was to develop a domestic breed adapted to Belarusian conditions. The reason is that milk from this breed is characterized by higher fat, protein, and vitamin content, making it ideally suited for cheese production.
“Then the saga began,” the Belarusian leader said. Some claimed the project was close to a complete failure, while scientists, on the contrary, insisted that everything was going according to plan.
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that the project is moving forward too slowly. The increase in herd numbers over the past five years has been negligible.
“So what is really going on, especially here, where we have built a modern facility for researchers? Where is the truth? Let's get to the bottom of it,” the president said, outlining the main topic.
Agriculture and Food Minister Yuri Gorlov reported that the country currently has nearly 2,300 breeding cows of the red breed. They are mainly based at Ustye, which has been designated as a first-tier farm. “By 2028, Utsye will build another dairy complex for 1,000 head dedicated to breeding red Danish cattle,” the minister said. Farms have also been identified in Grodno Oblast, Minsk Oblast, and Brest Oblast that are raising the same breed.
Vladimir Karanik, the chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, that runs the Ustye agricultural enterprise, noted the strong productivity indicators, which have been confirmed in practice. The milk fat content of the purebred cows is at the required level.
He gave a detailed account of the breeding work being carried out by scientists and the finer points of building a solid genetic foundation. All of this, he explained, should make it possible to develop a unique gene pool, which would in turn allow for actually breeding a Belarusian breed by 2030.
After hearing all the information, Aleksandr Lukashenko instructed Head of the President Administration Dmitry Krutoi to find specialists who would clearly spell out the tasks “such as annual herd numbers, complex construction targets… A whole program. So that we can review the results and give our assessment. We need to have a concrete program so that we can see what they (our top academician and the minister) are supposed to achieve. Everything should be spelled out, formalized in the president’s executive order.”
Vladimir Karanik reported that the National Academy of Sciences, together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, has already drawn up such a program based on the outcomes of the working meeting.
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