Animal breeding in Latvia

GITA JANSONE HEAD OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION AND PEDIGREE DIVISION DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA

Facts on Latvia Area km2 64 573 Population, mio (at beginning of 2012) 2.024 Population density per 1 km2 31.3

Borderline 1 866 km Sweden including coastline 498 km Finland Length of the territory, km Norway from the North to the South 210 from the West to the East 450 Estonia Average elevation above the sea level 87 m Russia Highest point (Gaiziņkalns) 312 m Latvia Denmark LATVIJA Mean monthly air temperature Co in Riga Lithuania Average +7.3 Belarus Average Jan. -3 Germany Poland Average Jul. +19.8 Czech Ukraine Republic Slovakia

2 THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA Structure of Agricultural land

Total area 1933.8 thsd.ha

Permanent crops, 0,3%

Pastures and meadows, 35%

Arable land, 65%

THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA 3 Structure of Agricultural output in 2016 (base prices)

Beef meat; 3,8 Eggs; 3,4 Poultry meat; 3,7 Pork; 5,7 Rape seed; 8,8 Milk; 19,6

Cereals; 28,8

Other livestock products; 2,7

[KATEGORIJA Other crop S products; NOSAUKUMS]; Vegetables; 5,2 Potatoes; 5,1 4,3 [VĒRTĪBA]

THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA 4 Self-sufficiency in agriculture products, % in 2016

200 180 172 161 160 140 134 120 105 100 80 65 57 60 40 20 0 Beef and Eggs Milk Sheep Poultry Pork veal and goat meat meat

5 Livestock sectors of Latvia

THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA 6 Dairy sector Number of farms and cows, milk yield

83% of dairy cows under 180 000 165 906 recording8000 162 414 7078 153 927 160 000 6993 7296 7000 140 000 6182 5812 5905 6000 120 000 5000 100 000 4000 80 000 3000 60 000 2000 40 000 21800 20078 17 900 20 000 1000

0 0 2014. 2015. 2016. Total number of dairy cows Average number of Number of dairy farms cows in herd: 8,6 Average milk yield per cow (statistic data) Average number of cows in recording Average milk yield per cow (recording data) herd: 27

7 THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA Beef sector Number of beef farms, beef animals and suckling cows

70000 64 322 59 250 60000 53 955 50000 44 710 40000 38 870 34 253 30000

20000

10000 4320 4360 4162 0 2014. 2015. 2016.

Farms Beef cattle Suckling cows Average number of beef cattle in herd: 15

THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA 8 Pig sector Number of pigs and farms

350000 328 857 327 694 331 296 6000 5 260 300000 5000

250000 3686 4000 200000 2899 3000 150000

2000 100000 760 847 927 1000 50000 26412 24547 26 820 0 0 2014. 2015. 2016. Sows Pigs, including sows Farms with sows Farms with pigs

THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA 9 Sheep and goat sectors Number of goat and sheep farms and animals 4500 106 573 120000 102 276 4000 92583 100000 3500 3000 80000 4199 4 033 3 733 2500 2709 60000 2000 2 539 2 374

Number of farmsof Number 1500 40000

1000 12255 animals of Number 12 682 13 201 20000 500 0 0 2014. 2015. 2016. Average number of sheep in herd: 29 Farms with sheep Farms with goats Average number of goats in herd: 6 Number of sheep Number of goats

THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA 10 breeding sector Number of horse farms and 10 200 6 000

10 000 4 918 5 000 4 438 9 800 4 047 4 000 9 600 10 135 3 000 9 400 2 000 9 200 9 598 9 364 9 000 1 000

8 800 0 2014. 2015. 2016. Number of horses Number of farms Average number of horses in herd: 2

THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA 11 Poultry (thousands)

9000 5,1 5,5 Other poultry 8000 3,9 4,5 (quails, turkeys, 3,4 geese, ducks 7000 3,5 etc.) Laying hens 6000 2,5

5000 4510,4 4341,0 1,5 4341 Broilers 132,0 68,3 170,4

tūkst. 4000 0,5 2255,7 2654,9 2236,9 3000 -0,5 Number of poultry 2000 -1,5 2035,8 2171,9 1000 1723,4 -2,5 Farms with poultry 0 -3,5 2014. 2015. 2016.

12 THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA Beekeeping

95335 92908 99813

100000 90000 80000 70000 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 3352 2931 3268 10000 0 2014. 2015. 2016. Bee colonies Bee holdings Average number of bee colonies in holding = 31

13 THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA Fur-bearing animals

438510

262543 227703

6823 4004 1220 835 4176 550

2014 2015 2016 Minks Chinchillas Foxes

14 THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA Rabbit breeding

37 000 1200 980 36 500 927 1000 767

36 000 800

36 865

35 500 600 Farms

Rabbits 35 000 35 475 400 35 166 34 500 200

34 000 0 2014 2015 2016 Rabbits Rabbit farms

15 THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA

Untraditional animals

12000

10183 9717 10000 9375

8000

6000

3777

4000 3216

2842

2544

1424

2000 1023

659 531 0 Red deers Fallow Mouflons Other wild deers animals 2014 2015 2016

16 THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA Native breeds  Dairy cattle:  Goats: ◦ Latvian Brown cow (152), ◦ Latvian Native goat (24) ◦ Latvian Blue cow (312)  Sheep:  Horses: ◦ Latvian Dark-headed sheep ◦ Latvian draught (549) type (215)  Also: ◦ Latgale Trotter (~20) ◦ Latvian local bee population ◦ Latvian Arden (~20) (60 colonies)  Pigs: ◦ Latvian Hound ◦ Latvian White pig (50)

THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA 17 Conservation measures of native breeds

√ In – situ conservation ◦ Farm animal breeders ◦ Nucleus Latvian Brown cow herd (at Latvia University of Agriculture training and research farm «Vecauce») ◦ Project for the breeding of new bulls of the Latvian Brown and Latvian Blue cow breeds, since 2016

√ Ex – situ conservation ◦ Semen storage 3 AI stations store semen - decisions on number of semen doses needed for storage are made in collaboration with breeding organizations √ Specialized Laboratory for storage of DNA and biological material (from 2007) ◦ Laboratory functions within the Latvia University of Agriculture ◦ More than1000 DNA samples from 6 local breeds are stored in laboratory

THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA 18

Challenges in livestock sector I

√ The new EU Animal Breeding Regulation (2016/2012) - New Animal breeding law - New regulations: - procedure for recognition of breeding organisations and approval of breeding programmes; - procedure for maintaining of herd-books; - recording rules; - rules for issuing zootechnical certificates; - rules for acceptance of sires, semen and embryos for breeding; - Discussions with animal breeding organisations to explain the new procedures and to implement them √ Creation of gene bank, participation in EUGENA

THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA 19 Challenges in livestock sector II

To ensure that organisations comply with requirements of the Animal breeding regulation

Cattle breeding organisations: 4

Sheep breeding organisation: 1

Pig breeding organisations: 2

Goat breeding organisation: 1

Horse breeding organisations: 2

Organisations for other animals: 5

THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA 20 Challenges in livestock sector III

To ensure that breeding programmes comply with requirements of the Animal breeding regulation Cattle (5): Goats (2): - 2 dairy cattle programmes (Red breeds, - 1 programme for main dairy goat breeds Holstein breed) (including preservation measures for Latvian - 2 breed - preservation programmes (Latvian Native goat breed) Brown and Latvian Blue cow) - 1 programme for meet goats (Boer breed) - 1 beef cattle programme for main breeds Horses (4): Pigs (2): - 1 programme for Latvian horse breed (including - 1 programme for main breeds preservation measures for type horses) - 1 breed preservation programme (Latvian - 1 breed preservation programme (Latvian Arden) - 1 programme for trotter breeds White pig) - 1 breed creation programme (Latvian Sport pony) Sheep (5): - 1 programme for local breed, including Other animals (5) 1 programme for local bees, 1 preservation measures (Latvian Darkheaded programme for rabbits, 1 programme for fur animals, 2 sheep) programmes for deers - 4 programmes for other breeds

THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA 21 Thank you for attention!

THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE OF LATVIA 22