Prospects for Holstein Breeding in Ukraine

Abstract

Goal. To identify ways to improve and develop a breeding program for the Holstein breed of cattle in Ukraine. Methods. A statistical analysis of the productivity of Holstein breed animals in countries around the world was conducted using the ICAR database. Information on the active part of the Holstein breed population in Ukraine was analyzed according to the data of the State Register of Breeding Entities in Animal Husbandry, the Catalog of Dairy and Dairy-Meat Bulls for Reproduction of the Parent Stock for 2023. Results. Based on the comprehensive application of analytical methods, a general principle scheme was developed and the optimal parameters for Holstein breeding in Ukraine were determined. The main strategic goal of the development and implementation of the proposed breeding program was to ensure the profitability of dairy cattle breeding, which would be implemented by increasing the genetic potential of cows’ milk productivity through breeding, improving the quality indicators of milk and the economic use of animals. For the phased implementation of the Holstein breed development program, the main parameters of large-scale breeding were developed for the period until 2032, which took into account the annual need for sperm production of bulls-improvers and the available breeding stock in the active (breeding farms and reproducers) and commodity parts of the breed, and the need to implement genomic prediction of breeding value. Conclusions. Monitoring of the Holstein breed gene pool indicates a high genetic potential of animals in most breeding farms in diffe­rent regions of Ukraine. The selective improvement of Holstein animals in the next ten years will be carried out by the method of purebred breeding and expanded reproduction due to inbreeding with other dairy breeds using large-scale selection. The expansion of the genealogical structure is extremely necessary to prevent a significant increase in the level of inbreeding in the breed.