Genetic Resources of Dairy and Beef Cattle Breeding in Ukraine

The state of cattle-breeding development in Ukraine for the last decades has been analyzed. The tendency of significant cattle number reduction, including cows, as well milk and beef production, has been noted. At the same time, the milk production increased noticeably. A significant part of the cattle population is kept in individual farms and only 6.1% of cows are under individual control, which complicates selection work at global breed level. In the active (controlled) part of the dairy cattle population, more than half (53.1%) falls on Ukrainian Black-and-White Dairy. The share of the Holstein breed increased up to 14.3% with a tendency to further growth. The active part of the cattle population of beef breeds is only 0.5% of the total number of cows in the country. The largest share comprises Aberdeen-Angus (26.6%). In beef cattle breeding there is a tendency to reduction of their share in the total number of cattle. A separate program defines the prospects and the necessity of preservation of the gene pool of endangered indigenous breeds (White-headed Ukrainian, Grey Ukrainian, Lebedin and Brown Carpathian).