Development trends and challenges in beef cattle breeding in Latvia

Abstract

In the European Union (EU), the cattle sector is made up of meat and dairy farming. These sectors are closely interlinked, as a significant proportion of dairy cows are slaughtered for meat. In the mid-1990s, as market conditions changed in Latvia's agricultural sector, the development of specialised breeds of beef cattle began, so the aim of the research is to examine trends in the development of beef cattle breeding in Latvia. Dairy farming is still one of the largest agricultural sectors in Latvia, but between 2003 and 2023 the total number of specialised beef cattle herds in Latvia has decreased by 46.9%, while the number of specialised beef cattle themselves has increased almost four times compared to 2003. The results of the study show, in 2023, the most popular beef cattle breeds were Charolais, Limousine, Hereford and Aberdinangus, and these breeds accounted for 87% of the total number of beef cattle. The beef cattle industry showed a positive trend in the development of specialized beef cattle breeds with an increase in the number of herds of 3-49 and 50-199 cattle in 2023, which accounted for 86% of the total number of beef cattle. In Latvia, beef cattle are concentrated in certain districts in the eastern, western, and northern parts of the country where favourable conditions (pastures) are available for rearing them. Authors conclude that in the future, farms producing cattle of specialized beef breeds will have to review their production practices in order to adapt to environmentally friendly solutions and contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the European Green Deal.