On the territory of the exhibition center “MinVody-Expo”, within the framework of the all-Russian forum “Development of sheep breeding in the North Caucasus”, a meeting was held on the topic: “Challenges and potential for the development of meat sheep breeding in Russia.”
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, the National Union of Sheep Breeders of Russia, heads of the agro-industrial complex of the North Caucasus Federal District, specialists from industry institutions, organizations and companies, scientists and farmers. The Dagestan delegation was represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Dagestan Mukhtarbiy Adzhekov, the director of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Agrarian Research Center of the Republic of Dagestan” Nariman Nimatulaev, the head of the department of animal husbandry of the Federal Research Center of the Republic of Dagestan Abdusalam Khozhokov, as well as the heads of Agformirma “Sogratl” and Agrofirma “Chokh” of the Gunibsky district, SEC “Dzhurmut -1” of the Tlyaratinsky district and the SPK “Noble people” of the Khunzakhsky district.
Nariman Nimatulaev, director of the FSBSI “Federal Agrarian Research Center of the Republic of Dagestan”, told the forum participants about the state of the sheep breeding industry in the Republic of Dagestan. According to him, sheep breeding is a traditional industry for Dagestan, a way of life for a significant number of the rural population of the region. The republic is the leader in sheep breeding in Russia; more than half of the sheep of the North Caucasus Federal District and 21 percent of the sheep head of Russia are concentrated here.
Dagestan sheep breeding is covered by multi-channel state support through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Dagestan. In 2022, the production of lamb in the republic amounted to 34.5 thousand tons, 120 tons of traditional sheep cheese and more than 14 thousand tons of wool in physical weight were also produced. The industry continues to have a positive trend, there is an increase in the number of livestock. Agricultural organizations and peasant farms are also showing increasing interest in sheep breeding.
The Russian brand “Dagestan lamb” was formed. More than 40 percent, or about 15 thousand tons of lamb produced in the republic, is shipped to other regions of the Russian Federation, as well as to some countries of near and far abroad. The relevance of the development of sheep breeding for the republican economy is indicated at the level of the leadership of Dagestan. To stimulate the further development of sheep breeding, with the participation of the regional government, an investment project of Dagmyaso LLC is being implemented to process meat with a capacity of 10 thousand tons per year.
It was noted that the agrarian scientists of the region, with the active assistance of the leadership of the republic and the federal sectoral ministry, developed a strategy for the development of sheep breeding in Dagestan until 2030. The strategy provides for an increase in mutton production in Dagestan to 38 thousand tons per year by 2025, and today the republic is confidently moving towards the implementation of the targets.
Sheep breeding in the republic has a unique specificity – a transhumance system. In order to reduce the load on winter pastures, sheep are driven hundreds of kilometers twice a year, in spring to summer alpine pastures and in autumn to winter Caspian pastures. More than 70 percent of the sheep population of the republic falls on the Dagestan mountain breed, this is the most numerous breed of sheep in Russia.
Regarding the issues of scientific support for the sheep breeding industry, it was noted that the Federal Agrarian Scientific Center of the Republic of Dagestan is working to improve the productive qualities of the Dagestan mountain breed of sheep, taking into account the transhumance nature of sheep breeding in Dagestan. FARC RD scientists, together with colleagues from the All-Russian Research Institute of Sheep and Goat Breeding and the All-Russian Research Institute of Animal Husbandry, are working on three sheep farms in Dagestan. The improvement of the meat qualities of the sheep of the Dagestan mountain breed is carried out by adding the blood of the Russian meat merino, the results of several years of work are encouraging. Also, the scientists of the FARC RD are collaborating with the Kalmyk Research Institute of Agriculture, in experiments with the Dagestan mountain breed of sheep, the Dorper and Charolais sheep breeds are involved.
During the speech, they also highlighted the organization of the 23rd Russian exhibition of breeding sheep and goats. The exhibition will traditionally be held in May, for the first time it will be organized on the territory of the Republic of Dagestan. Participation of delegations from more than 20 regions of Russia and some countries is expected
Full version on the website Participants of the all-Russian forum were told about the potential of Dagestan sheep breeding
