“Science that feeds Ukraine: how the development of Ukrainian animal husbandry ensures the food security of the state?Science that feeds Ukraine: how the development of Ukrainian animal husbandry ensures the food security of the state?”, — write: unn.ua
Animal science and how to understand it?Today, the food security of Ukrainian families is ensured by a stable agricultural sector, the availability of products in stores at affordable prices, and the quality of food guaranteed by the control of standards. Logistics and trade play an important role in this, ensuring the timely delivery of products even to remote and affected regions of the country.
The direct provision of food security is based on the complex science of animal science, which covers issues of selection, genetics, rational feeding, housing conditions, reproduction of livestock and organization of animal production.
The main centers of this work are concentrated in a dozen scientific institutions and enterprises of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine: the Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, the Institute of Animal Husbandry, the Institute of Pig Breeding, the Institute of Fisheries, the Institute of Animal Biology, the Institute of Beekeeping, research stations of poultry farming and bioresources, etc. Together, they provide what every country needs more than ever today – food independence.
What does this mean in practice?Scientists of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine do not just breed breeds, they create animals that are best adapted to our conditions, have high productivity and endurance. For example, Ukrainian red-and-white and black-and-white dairy breeds of cattle are not inferior in productivity to foreign breeds, but in terms of basic life characteristics and indicators, they are superior to them.
In horse breeding, the Ukrainian riding breed is a special pride, created for the needs of equestrian sports by complex breeding crossing. It is actively used in classical disciplines, in particular in dressage and competitive competitions. And the Novooleksandrivskyi draft horse breed is used for agricultural work and koumiss production.
In pig breeding, scientists of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine have bred such iconic breeds as the Ukrainian Steppe Pied and White, Red White Belted, Myrhorod and Poltava Meat, which are famous for their high live weight gains and excellent taste qualities of meat.
In sheep and goat breeding, new highly productive breeds are being introduced, which ensure an increase in the yield of meat, milk and wool. Among them are Askanian Karakul and meat-wool breeds of sheep, as well as promising breeds of goats.
Even beekeeping has not been left out: the Carpathian bees of the “Rakhivskyi” type bred by scientists of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine show 15-20% higher honey productivity, overwinter well and are peaceful.
That is, the segment of animal science covered by the scientific institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is extremely broad – from cattle and pigs to horses, sheep, goats and bees. This creates a reliable foundation for food security and the development of the agricultural sector of Ukraine.
At the same time, it is important to emphasize that animals are not just bred, but are also under constant supervision – thorough research is carried out on feeding, housing, prevention and treatment of diseases. Scientists ensure proper care for each species, introduce modern veterinary methods, develop optimal diets and housing technologies.
About the numbers in generalLet’s consider the example of poultry farming. According to data from farmers’ associations, laying hens lay about 220 eggs per year, and meat-and-egg hens lay about 140 eggs. At the same time, breeds bred by scientists of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine demonstrate significantly higher productivity. Thus, Birkivska barvista has a laying capacity of 270-280 eggs per year, and Poltavska clayey – 260-275 eggs. Among meat-and-egg breeds, Hercules chickens (white, cuckoo, golden, variegated) show a laying capacity of 215-230 eggs per year. At the same time, the preservation of poultry in bred species is 95-96%, which is an important indicator of stability and reliability of production. In addition, scientists of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine have developed technologies for enriching eggs with iodized amino acids – an important thing that helps to combat iodine deficiency in humans.
That is, the use of highly productive breeds of chickens bred by scientists of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine allows Ukrainian farms to significantly increase production efficiency. For example, with an average maintenance of 1.5 thousand chickens, the increase in productivity is more than 60 eggs per hen per year, which gives an additional about 90 thousand eggs. At a price of about UAH 6 per egg (March 2025), this provides the farmer with approximately UAH 540 thousand of additional gross income per year. Of course, this figure is approximate, without taking into account the costs of maintenance, feed, veterinary medicine and service, but even as a forecast, the bonus is significant and increases the profitability of farms. Not to mention large industrial enterprises, where 100 thousand or more chickens are kept.
Why is this important today?Previously, the basis of animal husbandry was villages: cows in pastures, pigs in barns, chickens in yards. Now the main emphasis has shifted to industrial production – and these are completely different scales and risks. Here we need clear scientific monitoring, modern technologies and a control system at every stage – from breeding selection to veterinary medicine.
That is why the full cycle provided by the institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine – from genetics to processing – becomes not just important, but a strategic resource for the country. This is a guarantee of food security, price stability for meat, milk, eggs, as well as a guarantee of environmental and sanitary safety. And most importantly, behind all these achievements are not just farmers or agricultural holdings, but Ukrainian scientists who are working to ensure that our products are of high quality, competitive and affordable.
Let us remind youWhile Russia is destroying Ukrainian animal husbandry in the temporarily occupied territories, Ukrainian agricultural science, it seems, has acquired an internal enemy – the State Property Fund, which seeks to withdraw more than 135 thousand hectares of agricultural land from the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. This puts at risk breeding animal husbandry, selection programs, the feed base for farms and the country’s food security in general.