The field of animal husbandry is one of the most important in rural forestry, which requires a long-term and consistent approach. In order to develop one of the directions of the livestock industry - cattle breeding, it is important to modernize this sector.
According to the data of the Ministry of Agriculture, we have about 1,300,000 head of cattle in Georgia, which is not a bad number, but it is unfortunate that 75-80% of the total herd is low-productive. Along with this, we have an unfavorable picture in milk production, where there is seasonality and low production. During the year, we have stable milk production only for 4-5 months, and in the rest of the period, there is a shortage, therefore, the price of milk is also variable and unstable, but there is a growing demand for raw milk from dairy companies. The principle of modernization of the industry is to reorganize farms on effective management systems, which will allow us to significantly increase the volume of produced products, so that supply and demand are balanced.
You know that the only and irreplaceable source for the production of milk and meat is animal husbandry. Milk and meat are irreplaceable full-fledged products of high nutritional value, the analogue of which does not exist in nature. It is welcome that the regulations implemented in milk and meat production (from the point of view of food safety and quality), as well as the projects initiated by the state, have stimulated the livestock industry. Several large farms have been created, which are equipped with specialized high-yielding varieties (imported from the EU and Baltic countries), although this is small for the development of the sector.
A large part of the population involved in primary food production in our country are small farmers. Family and small-scale farming will be successful if it is managed effectively and is strictly business-oriented, allowing it to build its business on the principles that underlie the livestock of successful countries. Modern business-oriented farming is a necessary tool that will help our farmers to increase the volume of production and get maximum benefits.
The viability and success of cattle breeding, like any other field, is largely determined by the level of development of science relevant to each of these fields, the efficiency of the technologies they study and recommend. We have had a gap of about twenty years in this direction. Unfortunately, during this period neither breeding/selection works nor research activities against a number of diseases were carried out. Moreover, the scientific research institute at the State Zootechnical and Veterinary University of Georgia was canceled and liquidated, which is undoubtedly a black spot for our country. in recent history. Taking into account all of the above, the fastest and most alternative way to develop the field is to share and implement the experiences and technologies of successful countries. You know that modern technologies lead to optimization of production. By successful and high-tech countries, we mean those countries where large sums of money are invested in technological innovation research.
It is based on this principle that the company "Invet" operates. We have constant relations with high-tech companies of the European Union and the American continent. The mission of our company is to provide our farmers with quality products, services and highly qualified veterinary consultations, both in Tbilisi and throughout the country, by improving daily knowledge and expanding existing capabilities.
In general, the development of animal husbandry, including cattle breeding, is determined by three main factors, namely:
breed of animal (genotype);
complete and balanced feeding of animals;
Veterinary-sanitary measures, prophylaxis/prevention against communicable and non-communicable diseases.
I will briefly dwell on each of them and also present the capabilities of our company in relation to these factors.
Animal breed (genotype) – i.e., a set of hereditary characteristics, which is passed on to offspring from parents. Cattle breeding is a traditional field for our country, our ancestors followed this field for centuries, and as a result of folk selection, many unique breeds were created, both in cattle breeding and in other areas of animal husbandry. The situation created in the field from the breed point of view requires effective steps in order to achieve the desired result with a long-term strategy. Unfortunately, in the herds of our farmers there are bulls of unknown origin, which have not been tested for the quality of the offspring and do not have the potential for productivity. Consequently, genetic and productivity progress is impossible. The most common method of livestock breed improvement is absorptive crossing of the best specialized breeds with local breeds.
Our company cooperates fruitfully with the company "Caucasian Genetics", which operates in the field of breeding and artificial insemination. "Caucasian Genetics" offers farmers deep-frozen sperm of all major meat and dairy breeds for artificial insemination of animals. We are currently working together on a synchronization project, which will allow us to make the artificial insemination process more efficient and to be insured against all risks as much as possible. The mentioned method works successfully in highly developed countries, which is the most healthy method in breeding improvement.
Complete and balanced nutrition of animals - nutrition is an important factor in the growth and development of animals, it has a great influence on its health and maximum productivity. Organization of normalized and complete nutrition of animals takes place according to age group, live weight, direction of productivity (dairy or meat) and storage conditions. Balanced nutrition means providing animals with all the minerals and vitamins needed by the body.
In 2012, the company "Inveti" opened a mini-enterprise producing food, which provides Georgian farmers with quality products. Our company's goal is to produce animal feed with high digestibility, high content of protein and biologically active compounds. I would like to note that the recipe for food and food supplements produced by our company is based on high-tech production food systems. You know that the use of modern nutrition methods gives excellent results. Taking into account that the development of national production is the most important task for our company, at the same time, the increased dynamics of the products sold and the number of grateful customers forced us to expand the production scale. In the near future, within the framework of the state program "Produce in Georgia", the company will open an enterprise equipped with the latest technologies, which will offer our farmers high-quality food.
Veterinary-sanitary measures, prophylaxis/prevention against communicable and non-communicable diseases
The animal shows productivity characteristic of its breed in full health conditions. The development of cattle breeding is impossible without a stable epizootic situation and a high veterinary-sanitary level.
Veterinary-sanitary and zoohygiene measures are of decisive importance in the emergence and spread of infectious and non-infectious animal diseases. Often, the harsh conditions in farms are a prerequisite for the emergence of many communicable and non-communicable diseases. Therefore, farmers should make every effort to strictly follow veterinary-sanitary and zoohygienic rules.
Vaccination is the best way to prevent livestock from becoming infected and spreading the disease. The relevant service of the state vaccinates livestock against several diseases, such as Turkish, anthrax, nodular dermatitis, brucellosis (in adults, at the age of 4-8 months), and the rest of the diseases should be vaccinated by the animal owner, farmer with the help of a veterinarian, such as Emkar, pasteurellosis. The consulting team of our company has developed a preventive vaccination program for farms equipped with cultural-high-productivity varieties, as well as for existing farms with local varieties.
The most common among invasive diseases are helminthic diseases, which mainly infect young animals. The profitability of farms depends greatly on the reliability against helminthic diseases.
I would like to wish our farmers success and urge them to be oriented/motivated towards progress/development, to implement an effective farm management system and to ensure healthy and competitive production. It is in this way that it is possible to respond to the challenges that this field is facing today.
Gurami Melkadze
Company "Inveti" Mt. consultant
Academic doctor.