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EAEU States to unify approbation processes of selection achievements in livestock breeding and assessment of cattle milk productivity
On November 21, the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission made changes to the Procedure for Testing New Breeds, Types, Lines and Crosses of Farm Animals in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union by adding the annex Assessment of Distinctiveness, Uniformity, Stability and Resistance to Diseases in the New Breeds, Types, Lines and Crosses of Farm Animals.
The document was prepared taking into account species features and yields of farm animals. It contains procedures for determining (calculating) indicators, descriptions (including illustrations) and methods for measuring, determining and studying traits taken into account when assessing the uniformity, distinctiveness, stability and resistance to diseases of selection achievements in livestock breeding. The document provides the EAEU with a unified methodology to assess new selection achievements being tested for distinctiveness, uniformity, stability and disease resistance. This applies to cattle, small ruminants, pigs, horses, camels, deer, poultry, fur-bearing animals, fish and bees.
“The amendments will allow us to accomplish the legal basis for testing, streamline the efforts aimed at approving the advances in the livestock selection and breeding, and have them adopted across the EAEU. This, in turn, will help increase the genetic potential of animals, ramp up production of competitive pedigree stock, reduce dependence on import and increase the volume of mutual deliveries," noted Artak Kamalyan, EEC Minister in charge of Industry and Agriculture.
The Board meeting, also adopted the recommendation On Unified Approaches to Recording Milk Productivity and Conducting Laboratory Control of the Milk Quality Produced by Dairy Cattle.
The document, prepared taking into account the experience of the Union States and the recommendations by the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR), is aimed at increasing reliability of the processes for assessing cattle milk productivity. Once implemented, the provisions of the recommendation will contribute to Member States creating a system of objective and independent selection accounting and an operational procedure for assistant services, which competence covers the issues of accounting and monitoring dairy productivity in breeding stock, based on internationally recognized principles.
The adopted documents will improve the organization and management of breeding business and will contribute to developed production of competitive breeding products in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union.
For reference
The Procedure for Testing New Breeds, Types, Lines and Crosses of Farm Animals in the Member States of the Eurasian Economic Union was approved by Decision No. 113 of the Board of the Commission dated September 22, 2020. Before the amendments, Member States assessed selection achievements in livestock production for distinctiveness, uniformity and stability in accordance with their national legislation.
