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The development and maintenance of animal recording systems in Greece: a case study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2011

A. Georgoudis
Affiliation:
Aristotle University, Faculty of Agriculture, Dept. of Animal Science, GR-540 06, Thessaloniki, Greece
A. Baltas
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture, Directorate of Inputs for Animal Production, GR-101 76 Athens, Greece
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Summary

Animal performance recording and breeding in Greece aim at improving milk production of pure-bred cattle under intensive systems and of sheep and goats under semi-intensive or extensive production systems. Although milk recording was established in Greece by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1952, it is only since 1978 that it has been carried out more systematically on larger populations and in the frame of a more specific genetic improvement programme for each animal species and breed. For the application of this programme, close co-operation has been set up among the competent services of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agricultural Universities of the country and the relevant farmers' organisations which are in the process of being established. Milk is recorded on 61 867 dairy cows (29% of the total dairy population) in 1 425 herds (average herd size 43 cows), 31 611 dairy sheep (0.36% of the total sheep population) in 429 flocks (average flock size 72 ewes) and 3 296 goats (0.06% of the total goats population) in 36 flocks (average flock size 92). The procedures of performance recording and the future planning, aiming at increasing the number of animals and the recorded traits as well as the supporting of the farmers in managing their herds/flocks, are presented.

Résumé

En Grèce le contrôle laitier et l'élevage visent à l'amélioration de la production du lait de bovins de race pure sous des systèmes de production intensifs et des ovins et caprins sous des systèmes de production semi-intensifs ou extensifs. Quoique le contrôle laitier a été fondé en Grèce par le Ministère de l'Agriculture en 1952, seulement depuis 1978 celui-ci a été porté plus systématiquement sur des populations plus larges et dans le cadre d'un programme d'amélioration génétique pour chaque espèce et race animale plus spécifique. Pour l'application de ce programme, une co-opération étroite a été initié parmi les services compétents du Ministère de l'Agriculture, les Universités d'Agronomie du pays et les organisations des éleveurs pertinentes qui sont en cours d'être établies. Il existe 61 867 vaches laitières en contrôle (29% de la population laitière totale) dans 1 425 troupeaux (taille moyenne du troupeau 43,4 vaches), 31 611 brebis laitières (0,36% de la population ovine totale) dans 429 troupeaux (taille moyenne du troupeau 71,7 brebis) et 3 296 chèvres (taille moyenne du troupeau 92,5 chèvres). On présente le processus du contrôle de performance et les plans futurs ayant pour but d'augmenter le nombre des animaux et les caractéristiques contrôlées, ainsi que d'offrir aux éleveurs le soutien nécessaire pour la gestion de leurs troupeaux.

Type
Research Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 1998

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