Possibilities of improving animal breeding and feeding in Hungary

The report is dealing with the status of Hungarian animal breeding and feeding as well as the questions related to cattle and swine breeding, also underlying the need for improvement, from the point of view of national economy and consumer market and interactions between development of feed management and animal breeding. From the point of view of energy supply by 12 percent more animals could be kept at our present feedstuff production level and protein feed production for ruminants could be increased by 15 percent. To increase efficiency of production a comprehensive protein-program including supporting of research and development should be elaborated. According to the present situation of cattle breeding, milk production was decreased by 40 percent, and beef production by 60 percent during the last 7 years. Until the turn of the millenium the present 1,900 million liter milk production should be increased to 2,300-2,400 million liters, in the same time the rational increase of the present beef cow population (25 to 20 thousand at present) is necessary as well. In pig breeding between 1987-95 population size was reduced by near 40 percent, in the same time, the World`s pig population was increased by 10 percent. Concentration is high in the EC countries, in Hungary there is the opposite tendency. Lean meat yield should be increased by 8 percent, parallel quality traits, feed utilization and stress resistance are to be improved. Pig feeding standards decreased significantly during the last years, together with the decrease of genetic bases, reducing our competitiveness on international markets. In order to improve the feeding standars, quality improvement of premixes is necessary based on the modernization of mills and quality control of basic materials. There are effective systems of quality assurance in developed countries, the first step of joining is the introduction of the EUROP quality system in our country. Structural changes are needed for the improvement of pig breeding, in the first step projects keeping 200-300 sows, or 4,000-5,000 slaughter pig would be reasonable, in the second step the improvement of small holdings, partly working as part time activities should be supported. In the field of biological bases improvement of genetic values and following selection parameters for the improvement meat quality are essentially important. The system for production control is to be improved supporting the application of the most upto-date ultrasound and CT techniques, establishing new control stations, starting to export breeding animals, building up the system for quality insurance, a professional consulting system supported by the State and based onto applied research and professional education