Potentials of Serbian livestock production - outlook and future

The paper describes the state of the livestock production in the Republic of Serbia including preliminary results from the 2012 census: according to preliminary data, 908.990 heads of cattle, 3.403.288 pigs, 1.729.278 sheep and 235.576 goats are reared in Serbia. Structural and institutional measures, and measures of credit support should be the main instruments for achieving the goals of progress in animal husbandry. Activities in the breeding-selection work should be carried out in accordance with the recommendations of international organizations (ICAR, INTERBULL, EAAP). One of the most important outcome of these activities should result in a level of over 80% of the total population of cattle, pigs, sheep and other species of domestic farm animals in Serbia included in the control of production performance (presently between 25 and 30%). Genetic improvement of cattle, sheep and pigs (milk, meat) is very complex. More efficient use of reproductive technologies (AI - artificial insemination and embryo transfer ET, etc.), also of methods for evaluation of breeding value of farm animals through new methods of evaluation of breeding value of cows and breeding bulls will contribute to faster genetic improvement of production traits of these species of domestic animals. New knowledge in mapping and gene transfer, marker assisted selection, in vitro embryo development, embryo cloning, sexing, etc., are improving rapidly, with new technologies being developed permanently. Breeding/improvement of cattle, sheep and pigs in through breeding – selection work should facilitate further improvement of fertility traits, growth rate, feed efficiency, carcass quality (higher percentage of muscle tissue in the body), the quality of milk and meat, resistance to disease and stress, etc..