According to the Deputy General Director of the Association of Milk Producers Olena Zhupinas, the number of cows and other cattle has been decreasing in Ukraine for many years in a row, but the country began to receive more milk.
Points of attention
- Ukraine is increasing the volume of milk production by improving the genetics of cows.
- The reduction in the number of cows did not prevent the growth of milk production, some farms even achieve high milking rates.
- Farmers in Ukraine actively use the best breeds of cows from abroad, which affects the increase in animal productivity.
- Changes in the feeding and maintenance of cows also contribute to the increase in milk yields and milk production in the country.
- Ukrainian dairy farms are achieving impressive results: the average milk production rate is twice the previous standards.
In Ukraine, it was possible to increase the volume of milk production with a smaller number of cows
In Ukraine, it is not the first year that the livestock has decreased. The number of dairy cows is decreasing mainly in private peasant farms. This is primarily due to the age of the people who kept these cows. But at the same time, milk production on dairy farms is increasing. Livestock is decreasing, but milk production is increasing. Therefore, it should be said that in the first half of this year, milk production on dairy farms increased by 6% compared to last year, — notes Župinas.
She noted that Ukraine has almost reached the level of 2021 in terms of the amount of milk received from a much smaller number of cows.
What influenced the increase in milk production in Ukraine
First of all, it is an improvement of the genetics of the cows themselves. That is, cows give more milk. If during the former Soviet Union, on average, a cow gave 3 tons of milk per year, now the average figure in Ukraine is 6.5 tons. That is, twice as much. And if these are progressive farms in this industry, then there the cows give even 9 or 10 tons of milk per year, — explains the deputy general director of the Association of Milk Producers.
Zhupinas added that dairy farms in Ukraine buy the best breeds of cows abroad.
In addition, she pointed out that farmers have changed their approach to feeding cows and keeping them, which also contributes to increasing milk yields.
