Farmers support the registration of animals in the herd book

In order to prepare breeding sows, ewes and mares, dairy and meat cows and calves, as well as dairy goats for entry into the herd book, the government on Tuesday, February 23, approved amendments to the procedure for granting state support for entry of breeding farm animals into the herd book, determination of their genetic quality and evaluation of productivity data.

The adopted regulations will provide transitional state support in 2016 for a service that includes costs related to the preparation of pedigree documentation for female breeding animals and the assessment of their suitability for inclusion in the herd book, determination of genetic quality, working capacity, and evaluation of productivity data.

The amount of transitional state aid changes every year, and The budget for 2016 is 19,029,659 euros, divided into:

• for pig farming – 7,829,550 euros,
• for dairy farming – 9,408,743 euros,
• for beef cattle breeding – 1,445,554 euros,
• for goat farming – 34,934 euros,
• for horse breeding – 47,548 euros,
• for sheep farming – 263,330 euros.

Since the total support funding for 2016 has been reduced by 44.8 percent compared to 2015, the payment per animal has also been reduced accordingly. 

The Ministry of Agriculture adds that no more than 1,500 breeding sows will be supported in the pig herd, as a larger number of sows is not targeted for the creation of a high-quality breeding nucleus.

Regulations “Amendments to Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 73 of 4 February 2014 “Procedure for granting state support for recording breeding farm animals in the herd book, as well as for determining their genetic quality and evaluating productivity data” shall enter into force upon their publication in the Official Gazette "Latvian Gazette".
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Information prepared by:
Ruth Rudzite,
Public Relations Specialist at the Ministry of Defense