Livestock farming is a key branch of agriculture, its main directions and types.

Refers to agricultural activity.

Since ancient times it has brought great profits.

This industry is considered one of the most promising.

Even in ancient times, people raised livestock to provide for their families and to sell.

Of course, the sphere is large. The main thing here is to choose the right direction. And for this it is necessary to determine which direction is in demand in the region of residence.

But, even having decided on an animal, an entrepreneur should take into account that in order to open a business, he will have to have quite a bit of money that will have to be invested. If set up correctly, livestock farming as a business from scratch will quickly pay for itself.

In Russia, livestock farming is becoming increasingly popular not only among ordinary people, but also among entrepreneurs. This is due to some indicators:

Our country has special programs that support farming. Entrepreneurs are provided with various subsidies and benefits, and are also given land for running a farming business.
A noticeable increase in the cost of products, which provides greater profits.
The product line obtained from this type of activity is always in demand. Entrepreneurs, as a rule, have their own distribution channels.
Restrictions have now been introduced on the import of products from abroad into the market.
A large number of directions. Introduction of new varieties, for example, ostrich breeding.
Russian products inspire confidence and are therefore in demand.

Therefore, farming activity is considered profitable and shows great promise. It is growing rapidly and brings great profits. Just to organize it you will have to make a lot of effort and invest money. At the same time, profit can be made very soon.

How to start an activity

The first thing an entrepreneur needs to determine is what goal he will pursue when raising livestock. It is possible to combine several in one direction. Now there are many directions. For example, they breed:

for the purpose of selling meat
for milk production
generalized method
marketing of juveniles

Farming activities are affected by two types of factors: external and internal. The first include:

degree of specialization
security
availability of performance

External factors include:

presence of demand
economy
policy

This type of activity is an integral part of the modern world. By abandoning it, you can return to primitive times. Therefore, livestock farming needs to be supported and developed. Only in this case will the entrepreneur succeed.

Before raising livestock, a beginner in the business should think about several questions:

choice of direction
business plan preparation
registration of activities
seeking help from the state
purchase of livestock, feed and necessary equipment

Setting up this business correctly involves some difficulties. It is recommended to start in a more familiar direction. It is necessary to adhere to ideas that allow you to quickly recover costs. This will help you reach a new level of activity with greater profits.

Many farmers simultaneously purchase several types of livestock to determine which one will be more profitable and to their liking. After all, each region may have its own level of sales, connections with the needs of people.

Having studied in practice the technology of raising and feeding livestock on a small scale, you can proceed to a large scale. Simply because you need to learn from small things.

Possible areas of livestock farming

Before drawing up a business plan, an entrepreneur needs to carefully understand all sectors of livestock farming. This includes breeding:

birds
cows
deer
camels
fur animals

Quite often, entrepreneurs are tormented by the question of livestock farming as a business from scratch, which is more profitable.

It is worth noting that the most profitable area is cow breeding.

Entrepreneurs engaged in such business provide the population not only with meat, but also with dairy products.

In addition, young individuals can be sold.

Of course, this direction is labor-intensive. After all, you will have to look for a barn, and for cows it should not be small.

Therefore, for many aspiring entrepreneurs, starting a business with something simpler is possible. Two more equally profitable industries are:

pig farming
poultry breeding

This is due to the fact that the resulting products are among the most in demand. But to achieve a good result, you need to spend a lot of effort and money.

A stable option would be a large farm with various specializations.

But creating such a business from scratch and right away is quite difficult.

And it will require a lot of investment.

If we consider the direction of cow breeding separately, then with a number of twenty heads one should not expect big profits.

It is necessary to constantly increase the number of animals, and then you can achieve excellent results. However, if you have no experience in this direction, it is better to start with a small amount. To begin with, it is enough to have five heads of cattle. This will make it possible to understand whether this direction is worth pursuing and whether it was chosen correctly.

The most profitable business

As mentioned above, cow breeding is considered the most profitable activity. This is connected, first of all, with providing people not only with meat, but also with dairy products. Before starting such a business, an entrepreneur needs to draw up a business plan. It should include:

volumes that the farmer plans to receive
expenses for the purchase of livestock, feed and equipment
marketing advertising costs
designation of sale price
information about distribution channels
employee salary expenses
costs for water, consecration and heat
expenses for regular medical care of animals, usually related to vaccinations
analysis of possible risk
planned income
business start-up costs
taxes
rent or cost of purchased premises

It is very important to determine the premises in advance. It should be located away from the city. Then you can get an environmentally friendly product.

It is important to determine the purpose of raising livestock:

for sale of young animals
for slaughter
dairy production
skin dressing
production of meat products

Once a business plan has been drawn up and premises have been found, you can begin to formalize your activities. To do this, you will have to obtain a number of permits and collect the necessary documentation.

A dairy cow must have:

barrel belly
small horns
good muscles
elastic udder

A narrow butt and a sagging back can be considered disadvantages.

Be sure to check the documents before purchasing livestock.

Must be vaccinated.

The cattle must first be provided with feed.

Ideally, there should be good pasture nearby.

It is imperative to disinfect the barn and vaccinate the cattle. It is imperative to provide additional space for the slaughterhouse.

Beef is an expensive and high-quality meat. It is in high demand. In order to get more profit, farmers buy livestock of different breeds. This helps to make a profit not only from meat, but also from milk, sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese and the like.

What is more profitable for the purpose of selling

Let's take a closer look at how profitable each area of livestock farming is:

Raising rabbits does not involve large investments and hassle. People who have not previously engaged in livestock farming are recommended to start a business with this type of activity. The main advantage of these animals is their early maturity. Within a month, their weight increases twelvefold. By purchasing five females, you can annually receive two hundred skins and about three hundred kilograms of meat.
Breeding nutria, if the business is set up correctly, can lead to good profits. After all, one carcass of this animal costs twenty-five conventional units. With proper organization of activities, one family will bring in up to twenty thousand rubles per month. To get good skins, they must be kept for at least nine months.
Quite often people get scammed. You can get fluff and healthy milk from this animal. For beginners in the field of livestock farming, this is quite a profitable business.
When breeding turkeys, it is worth considering that they are difficult to maintain. But after ten months such a business pays off. By this time the bird weighs about twenty-five kilograms. The demand for it is very good, so there are no problems with implementation.
Pigs are classified as precocious livestock. If you provide them with good care, at the age of six months the animal reaches one hundred kilograms of weight. One female can give birth to two offspring per year. Therefore, in addition to meat, you can trade young animals. Little piglets don't come cheap.
Beef has always been and will be in price. Therefore, raising this animal for sale can easily be called one of the most profitable. With proper nutrition and care, this cattle gains weight of up to three hundred and fifty kilograms in a year and a half.

Due to the fact that the main types of livestock products are always in demand, problems with their sale usually do not arise. Entrepreneurs can sell products on the market or rent them out to small retail outlets.

As for large farms, they enter into deals with retail chains, as well as enterprises that process products. Some farmers additionally set up their own production facilities for processing products, which helps increase profitability from their activities.

What is needed for a successful business

Pig farming is a profitable business

Every beginning farmer must understand that this type of business does not allow you to generate income instantly.

Livestock farming is one of the most risky activities.

Since there is always a possibility of diseases or natural disasters that contribute to losses and lead to bankruptcy.

Plus, it takes time to make a profit.

Livestock farming is a branch of agriculture that specializes in raising animals. In countries with a developed agro-industrial complex, this branch of agriculture occupies a leading position. Animal husbandry originated a long time ago, with the beginning of the process of domestication of wild animals. Man began to use animals to satisfy his needs: some became a source of food (meat, milk and dairy products), some became loyal friends and helpers (hunting dogs and falcons), for the production of skins.

Specifically in Russia, meat, dairy and meat and wool livestock farming is developed. The most common meat and dairy animals are cows. Currently, breeders have developed many different breeds, each of which has its own advantages. Let's say there is such a breed as the Light Aquitaine. This breed was bred exclusively for meat production, since individuals of this breed produce very little milk, but at the same time, adult bulls reach a weight of more than one ton. In Russia, breeds such as the Kazakh White-headed, Russian Polled, and Kalmyk are used.

There are also breeds that do not stand out for their great weight and fertility. Breeders have bred breeds that are primarily aimed at milk production. Individuals of these breeds, as a rule, are not large in size, but have a very high milk yield. If beef cows have enough milk to feed an average of one calf, then dairy breeds produce over 5 thousand liters of milk per year. The most common dairy breed in Russia is the Black and White. Individuals of this breed are capable of producing up to 5.5 thousand liters of milk with a fat content of 4%.

Next we will talk about meat and wool animal husbandry. As the name suggests, this branch of livestock farming produces wool and meat. Basically, wool is collected from sheep. Let's look at several breeds of wool sheep.

Stavropol breed.

The length of the coat in some places reaches up to 16 cm long. Sheep of this breed produce from 7 to 13 kg of wool. From rams they cut from 15 to 25 kg. This breed is bred mainly in the Stavropol and Krasnodar territories and in the Orenburg region. Sheep of this breed are also known for their high fertility.

Some statistics on the productivity of other breeds:

Soviet merino - from 10 to 30 kg.

Sal breed – from 10 to 17 kg.

Axonian breed – from 10 to 17 kg.

Grozny breed - from 7 to 17 kg.

Mychinsky merino – from 3 to 7 kg.

The Axonian breed, in addition to wool, is raised for meat production. Upon reaching the age of one and a half years, the average weight of rams is 130 kg. Sheep weigh up to 65 kg. This breed also has a fairly high fertility rate. According to average statistics, there are 150 lambs per 100 queens.

The Krasnoyarsk breed is widespread in Russia. Rams of this breed weigh more than 110 kg. About 15 kg of wool is sheared from them. From the queens they get up to 7 kg of wool and no more than 60-65 kg of meat.

Livestock farming is one of the priority areas of agriculture. For a long time this was the basis of the economy of the Soviet Union, when after the revolution, people received a huge amount of pasture land. Although in pre-revolutionary Russia, livestock farming was considered a lagging branch of agriculture.

Livestock farming in Russia is an incredibly promising and economically profitable business, despite the fact that there are many types of livestock raised. By choosing the preferred type of livestock farming, and correctly organizing the housing, climatic conditions and choosing the diet for the animals, the farmer will be able to obtain natural products for personal use and sale.

Animal husbandry is one of the most ancient human activities, as evidenced by numerous archaeological excavations and rock paintings. Conscious habituation of wild animals replaced hunting, which became increasingly dangerous. Man hunted to survive, because it gave him food, as well as fur and skin for clothing, sharp bones for making tools and weapons. But the hunt claimed too many lives; even a minor injury was fatal. At the same time, domestication of wild animals was safe and allowed for planning of consumption and production.

It's one thing to risk your life for a wild boar, but quite another to focus on farming to grow food for yourself and your livestock. Agree, this type of activity is safer. Already in ancient times, livestock farming was divided into types, which was associated with climatic and geolocation conditions. For clarity, we can consider the variety of types of livestock farming in Russia, the territory of which extends over a huge area. The climate of Russia varies from subtropical to sharply continental, so each region has historically developed its own type of livestock farming.

Animal husbandry was practiced all over the world. The first mention of the domestication of wild animals dates back to the Mesolithic era, that is, around the twelfth millennium BC. Excavations in Egypt have found evidence suggesting that the ancient Egyptians raised pigs, cows and camels, and also domesticated geese and ducks. Later, horses were trained and became an indispensable assistant for humans.

Throughout the history of animal husbandry, approximately 40 species of wild animals have been domesticated, which have become an integral part of the agricultural complex of different countries of the world.

Livestock farming in Russia

On the territory of Russia, livestock farming has occupied an important position - it makes up half of the total share of the agricultural complex. Agriculture and livestock farming are two interconnected areas that work for each other. To understand this relationship, you need to consider the types of livestock farming in Russia:

Pig farming. An important industry whose main products are meat and lard.
Cattle breeding. This industry is engaged in the breeding of cattle for meat and milk production, as well as small livestock.
Horse breeding. Horse breeding is an important type of livestock farming.
Poultry farming. Breeding domestic chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys is important because it provides the consumer with eggs, valuable meat, feathers, and down.
Reindeer husbandry. A typical type of activity for the northern regions of Russia.
Fur farming. This area of activity includes breeding animals to obtain valuable fur, such as mink, nutria, arctic foxes, rabbits and others.
. Production of honey and wax products.
Fish farming. Growing river fish.

Each of these types of livestock farming represents a huge branch of agriculture.

One of the most important types is cattle breeding. This includes breeding large and small livestock. Cattle are cows and bulls, which are raised both for food (meat and milk) and for breeding. It must also be said that cattle breeding provides light industry with raw materials for the production of shoes, clothing and other leather goods. Genuine leather still remains an indispensable material, which is used in many areas not only in light industry, but also in mechanical engineering.

Small livestock - goats and sheep - provide valuable livestock products such as meat, milk and wool. Goats, like cows, produce milk, from which hard and soft cheeses are made, as well as fermented milk products: cottage cheese, yoghurts, fermented baked milk, kefir.

Cattle and small livestock eat plant foods provided by crop production.

Pig breeding in Russia, like cattle breeding, is practiced almost everywhere. Pigs are unpretentious animals that can live in different climatic conditions. They are grown in the central regions of Russia, as well as in remote ones. Due to the fact that pigs can be kept in fairly simple conditions, and their diet is classified as omnivorous, pig farming is very widespread.

Pigs are primarily fed grain, but are usually given all food scraps.

Horse breeding is a serious area of agriculture. Horses are used in sports and also as pulling power. This is a fairly expensive type of livestock farming. however, breeding also brings significant income. Horses eat plant foods, but like all animals raised in captivity, they require vitamin and mineral supplements in their diet.

Reindeer husbandry and camel husbandry are considered relatively rare types of livestock farming in Russia. This is due to geolocation: deer are common in the northern regions, and camels are characteristic of the southern regions.

Rare types of livestock farming in Russia also include the breeding of ornamental animal species that are atypical for our region. Recently, exotic and rare species of animals have been imported into Russia and readily take root in the Russian climate. Such successful experiences include breeding ostriches, ornamental pigs, llamas, rare species of birds and many others.

Industrial breeding of fur-bearing animals is considered the oldest type of animal husbandry. For example, a type of animal such as rabbits provides consumers with delicious meat and fur. Nutria is also used as a valuable fur and meat. Arctic fox and mink breeding provide light industry with fur for making outerwear and hats.

Humanity has been engaged in poultry farming for many millennia. One of the most valuable products that poultry provides is eggs. They contain protein and many useful substances that a person needs for a full life. Poultry is an important part of the diet because it is not as fatty as pork.

Birds eat plant foods, the main diet being grain.

Beekeeping is also a type of livestock farming. the most valuable product. What bees give is honey. Natural honey is incredibly healthy. It can be stored for many years without loss of quality or loss of beneficial properties. The industry receives a unique product from beekeeping - wax, which is used everywhere. Candles are made from wax; it is used in cosmetology, pharmaceuticals and other industries. To keep bees, it is necessary to plant crops grown in an environmentally friendly way. Honey can accumulate toxins and therefore the issue of environmental friendliness in honey production is especially important.

Fish farming on an industrial scale is replacing labor-intensive fishing. Currently, river fish breeding is particularly successful. This type of activity makes it possible to fully meet the needs for river fish for the population of a large territory of Russia.

With the constant development of infrastructure, new logistics opportunities are emerging that make it possible to supply various territories of Russia with products of all types of livestock.

Types of livestock products

Every agricultural activity, and especially livestock farming, produces products that are used by humans. As already mentioned, the main types of products are meat, milk and eggs. Without animal proteins, the human diet will be incomplete. Also important products are leather, fur, bones, wax and pharmaceutical substances, which are provided by animal husbandry.

The main problem, as before, remains the issue of quality feed, as well as its storage. The quality of the resulting products depends on the correct adherence to cultivation technology, soil cultivation and storage technology. Keeping animals is a very expensive undertaking, with the main expense being on feed and its storage. Animals kept both on farms and at home must receive adequate nutrition, as well as the entire necessary complex of vitamins and minerals. The quality of the resulting products - milk, meat, eggs - depends on this.

New agricultural developments are helping to gradually move away from the use of harmful chemicals when cultivating the soil and in the process of growing plants. The main task of livestock farming, as part of the entire agricultural complex, is the production of at least a harmless product. Organic meat, milk, honey and eggs are more expensive, but they pay for themselves instantly, because healthy food is important to the consumer.

Livestock farming is one of the most important branches of agriculture. It produces the most important food products - milk, meat, eggs, fish, which are a source of animal protein and serve as raw materials for various branches of the processing industry (dairy, butter, cheese, meat, sausage, leather, etc.), for auxiliary industrial production. Livestock farming is inextricably linked with crop production, since the efficiency of the industry is determined by the state of the feed supply. Animal husbandry uses waste from field farming (grain waste, straw), vegetable growing (non-standard vegetables, tops), and processing industry waste (stillage, molasses, cakes, meal, etc.). In turn, livestock farming provides crop production with organic fertilizers, helping to increase soil fertility.

The main feature in animal husbandry is that only part of the fed feed is used by animals for production, and the other part of the feed is spent on maintaining the vital functions of animals (the minimum feed requirement is determined during maintenance feeding). Therefore, for the effective use of animals, balanced, rational feeding is necessary.

Livestock farming is less dependent on natural and climatic conditions compared to crop farming. Therefore, in livestock farming, fixed and working capital and labor resources are used more evenly throughout the year, and revenue from product sales is received throughout the year.

Livestock farming includes dairy and beef cattle breeding, poultry farming, pig farming, sheep farming, fish farming, beekeeping, horse breeding, fur farming and other industries.

Livestock farming is located everywhere in Russia. The diversity of natural and economic production conditions led to differences in the composition and ratio of different types of livestock. The choice of livestock farming system is influenced by such factors as the location of the agricultural enterprise, the composition and ratio of forage land, labor supply, the level of mechanization of work, the state of the market for livestock products, etc. The development and placement of livestock industries should be focused on meeting the needs of the population for livestock products .

When locating livestock production, the availability of labor resources and the provision of farms with mechanization equipment are also taken into account. Dairy cattle breeding is one of the most labor-intensive branches of livestock farming and requires relatively large labor costs. Reducing labor costs in cattle breeding is possible only through the introduction of advanced technologies.

Increasing the efficiency of livestock production

Cattle breeding is one of the leading branches of livestock farming, which is determined by the wide distribution of cattle in various natural and economic zones and the high share of milk and beef in the total mass of livestock products. It is not only the main supplier of milk and producer of meat, but also produces raw hides obtained from the slaughter of cattle, as well as a number of by-products: bones, horns, hair and others. A number of valuable products are obtained from the disposal of slaughterhouse waste - from soap to endocrine drugs.

Cattle, when properly maintained, fed and raised, are highly productive. Cows can produce 8-9 tons of milk per year (based on an average annual cow), and individual individuals can produce up to 10-12 tons and even 25 tons.

Cattle breeding is a source of organic fertilizer - manure, the quality and quantity of which depend on the conditions of feeding and keeping the animals. A cow can produce up to 10 tons of manure per year.

Cattle breeding in Russia is carried out everywhere in various natural and economic conditions, this undoubtedly affects the efficiency of livestock production. Depending on the nature of the use of cattle, it is customary to distinguish the following areas of development of cattle breeding: dairy, dairy and meat, meat and dairy and meat. The dairy sector is developed, mainly in the suburban areas of the country. The dairy and meat industry is based in a moderately warm, fairly humid climate. This direction is predominant in cattle breeding and is the most developed. Meat and dairy cattle breeding is common in drier regions of the Russian Federation. Specialized beef cattle breeding is located in the steppe regions.

As the most intensive industry with a rapid and uniform turnover of funds, cattle breeding has a significant impact on the economy of all agriculture. The sustainable development of dairy cattle breeding and the dairy industry as a whole is of utmost importance in providing the population with essential food products and food independence of the country.

In modern market conditions, when price relations are based on the interaction of supply and demand for products and largely depend on the solvency and consumer capabilities of the population, in order to form a stable market for livestock products and create opportunities for agricultural producers to conduct expanded reproduction, it becomes absolutely necessary to strengthen state participation in pricing.

In order to protect the economic interests of domestic agricultural producers of livestock products, various mechanisms of state influence can be applied to increase production efficiency: quotas for production and imports, commodity and purchasing interventions, the introduction of minimum threshold prices for sold livestock products, ensuring sales guarantees, etc. The use of these measures made it possible would receive an annual increase in milk production in the country as a whole at the level of 7 - 10% or 2-3 million tons. The current rates of import customs duties on imported dairy products and meat are not effective enough, do not allow equal access to the domestic market for domestic agricultural producers, and constrain growth in the production of milk, meat, dairy and meat products in the country. In 2003, a state standard for milk came into force that meets international requirements. This GOST established all-Russian basic standards for fat and protein content - 3.4 and 3%, respectively. The organizational basis for the development of cattle breeding and the economic efficiency of the industry depend on a number of factors. Let's look at some of them.

1. Feed base: the need for feed of various sex and age groups of animals, the cost of feed for the production of certain types of products; the optimal ratio of the composition of the feed ration for feeding various groups of animals in terms of the set of feeds, their cost and impact on the cost of the final product; feed quality - balanced diet in terms of protein, carbohydrates, energy, microelements, etc.

2. Breed composition of animals, their quality, productive potential.

3. Life support conditions created in premises and workshops. This group of factors is characterized by the use of various methods and systems for keeping and feeding animals, types of engineering equipment for stalls, microclimate systems; modes, frequency and methods of performing basic technological processes and operations (milking, preparing and distributing feed, cleaning stalls and removing manure, etc.).

4. Organization and payment of labor, working hours; qualifications of performers; financial incentives; compliance with technological regulations for performing processes and operations.

5. Material and technical base of livestock farming: composition and quality of equipment; level of mechanization of animal service processes, processing and storage of products; arrangement of farms with main and auxiliary buildings and structures, including for keeping animals, storing feed, processing and storing products, manure disposal, etc.

6. Methods of sales and level of purchase prices for products, taking into account the quality of the product.

7. Resource costs for obtaining and selling products, production profitability. Feed costs account for more than 60% of the cost structure of milk and beef production.

Among the factors that increase productivity, the most important is animal feeding. The feeding ration consists of maintenance feed, which ensures the normal functioning of animals, and productive feed, on which productivity depends. The greater the share of productive feed in the diet, the higher the productivity of livestock, and vice versa. High productivity increases the efficiency of feed use - more products are produced for the same amount of feed consumed.

Thus, the redistribution of costs between maintenance and productive feed in the direction of increasing the latter is the most effective type of savings in animal husbandry, and, conversely, any reduction in the ration comes at the expense of its productive part. In addition, the absolute cost of feed per unit of production decreases due to an increase in the level and quality of feeding, as well as with an increase in productivity.

Science has proven that in cows with low productivity (2000-2300 kg of milk per year), 65% of the nutritional value of the diet goes to maintaining life, and in animals with a productivity of 6000 kg - only 37%. Animal feeding rations must be biologically complete and contain the optimal amount digestible protein and other nutrients. The need for feed must be satisfied through production on the farm. They buy mainly feed from the feed industry and food waste from outside.

An indispensable condition for obtaining high-quality feed are progressive harvesting methods that make it possible to preserve the original properties of raw materials as much as possible: harvesting hay with additional drying by active ventilation, preparing haylage, silage, grass cuttings and flour.

More attention should be paid to converting livestock to pasture (cheap sources of feed with a high content of energy and protein). It is advisable to graze cattle even where year-round housing is practiced. Keeping livestock on pasture reduces the cost of procuring and transporting green fodder. Properly organized grazing ensures increased productivity of dairy cows.

Forage production plays an important role in increasing the productivity of cows. The presence of feed shops makes it possible to prepare and feed feed to cows in the form of a feed mixture that is homogeneous in its physical and mechanical properties, which promotes better eating, absorption, reduction of feed losses, and ensures the mechanization of their distribution.

The development and improvement of feed production on farms is becoming one of the key factors in stabilizing and increasing the efficiency of livestock breeding.

Production efficiency is an economic category that reflects the essence of the process of expanded reproduction.

The economic efficiency of milk production is characterized by a system of indicators, the main of which are milk yield per cow, calf yield per 100 cows, feed consumption per 1 quintal of milk, labor costs per 1 quintal of products (labor intensity), unit cost of production, profit from the sale of milk and level of production profitability.

The interest of industry workers in the results of their work is decreasing due to low and late wages. Labor productivity in dairy farming is determined by the level of milk productivity and labor costs per cow. Labor productivity as a result of an increase in its costs for maintaining and caring for animals will increase if, per I person/hour. more milk will be produced. However, quite often additional labor costs lead to insufficient productivity growth, which reduces overall labor productivity. Sometimes the additional involvement of labor resources is explained by a reluctance to improve the living conditions of animals, but is a consequence of the low level of mechanization of basic technological processes. Reducing labor costs and funds per unit of production is the most important task in dairy farming. Currently, the high costs of milk production are not compensated by revenue from its sale. The more milk a farm produces, the more losses it suffers. The current level of milk prices does not provide the possibility of running the industry profitably; As a result, milk production is unprofitable. State support provided to the industry within the framework of the national project so far has little effect on the results of economic activity. Let us dwell on the economic indicators characterizing the barrenness of cows, offspring and mortality of animals. High calving results are a sign of good health of cows and normal living conditions. The higher the calving result, the greater the proportion of lactating cows and, therefore, the better the milk production. There is a close relationship between a decrease in barrenness and an increase in gross milk production at almost the same feed costs. The following factors contribute to an increase in the average annual number of calvings: the use of feed balanced in the content of nutrients, vitamins, macro- and microelements; proper living conditions for livestock; organization of permanent veterinary services; staff development.

An important indicator characterizing the level of development of cattle breeding on a farm is the annual output of calves per 100 cows. Essentially, this indicator determines the efficiency of the dairy herd and, to a large extent, the level of zootechnical and breeding work. Scientific research has proven that sufficient provision of beta-carotene to the body of a pregnant cow contributes to the birth of more resilient offspring, while the yield of young animals increases. . A large reserve for increasing the efficiency of milk production is the rational use of broodstock. The efficiency of dairy farming largely depends on the duration of lactation of cows. The maximum productivity of cows is achieved by 8-9 years of age or 6-7 lactation. At the same time, feed costs per unit of production are reduced. The economic efficiency of milk production and its quality depend on the breed and individual hereditary characteristics of cows. To determine them, grading is carried out. Grading refers to the determination of the breeding value of animals by assessing them according to a set of characteristics and assigning them for further use. A significant proportion of high-quality cows in the herd allows for more efficient use of available resources and increases the level of economic efficiency of the industry.

To increase the economic efficiency of the industry, intensification is necessary. Intensification of livestock farming should be characterized by additional investments of funds and labor in the same livestock in order to increase production while reducing labor and capital costs per unit of production. The main meaning of intensification is that production growth is ensured by increasing its output from one head. The intensification of dairy cattle breeding is manifested primarily in increasing the productivity of cows.

The level of intensity of dairy farming is closely related to the seasonality of milk production. The less seasonality there is, the more intensively the industry operates. Eliminating the pronounced seasonality of milk supply throughout the year is one of the important reserves for increasing milk production in the country. Seasonality in milk purchases generates additional investments in increasing the capacity of dairy plants in the hope of uninterrupted milk acceptance during the period of maximum receipt, and reduces the level of use of industrial fixed assets.

An increase in meat production in any form of rearing and final fattening of young cattle should be ensured through the organization of intensive feeding of animals. Its advantage over the usual one is that with the consumption of the same amount of feed, you can get 1.5 times more meat. With adequate and high-quality feeding, the period of fattening to accepted standards is reduced, which leads to a reduction in feed consumption, production costs, and an increase in its profitability.

The achieved level of development of domestic cattle breeding has not yet satisfied the needs of the entire population both for whole products and for processed products.

Currently, most agricultural enterprises are experiencing financial difficulties, so they are forced to expand industries that bring maximum benefits and curtail the production of unprofitable products.

The analysis shows that the production capacity of complexes for raising and fattening cattle is used only by a third. Insufficient organization and low labor productivity, significant costs for the construction of livestock buildings, the high cost of feed with a weak feed supply made beef cattle breeding a low-profit industry, weakly competing with dairy. All attempts to restore it in order to obtain cheap high-quality beef have not yet led to the desired results.

The scientifically based concept of increasing beef production in Russia in the near future includes the following main provisions: focus on meeting the needs of the country's population for high-quality beef primarily from its own resources; intensification of the use of the meat productivity potential of the fattening contingent from dairy herds by 30 - 35% due to the expansion and improvement of final fattening; increasing the removable live weight to 400-600 kg or more, depending on the breed, taking into account the consolidation of the food supply and other conditions; crossing dairy cows (up to 20 - 25%) with bulls of specialized meat breeds to obtain highly productive fattening young animals; radical development of beef cattle breeding in traditional areas, increasing the number of its livestock to at least 2 million heads.

Further dynamic growth of agricultural production requires the adoption of government regulation measures and the development of the market for livestock products that are adequate to the new economic situation.

In Russia, many livestock sectors are actively developing, which have impressive economic efficiency and can bring significant profits not only to a specific farmer, but also ensure an increase in the gross domestic product throughout the country.

Livestock farming is a strategic sector of the Russian economy. Its importance is determined not only by the fact that livestock production provides employment to hundreds of thousands of Russians and increases the national wealth of the country, but also by the fact that, along with crop production, it ensures the food security of the state. Although the gross output volumes are quite large, the general state of livestock farming in Russia is far from desirable, which can be seen in the specific efficiency indicators. The problems of domestic livestock farming will be discussed further.

Branches of Russian livestock farming

All major farm animals are bred in Russia, as well as those that are exotic in many other countries. In particular, domestic farmers are engaged in:

cattle breeding,
pig farming,
poultry farming,
sheep farming,
goat breeding,
rabbit breeding,
reindeer husbandry,
fur farming,
fish farming

and other types of livestock activities.

The gross output of finished products (in tons and rubles) is distributed extremely unevenly between these industries. For example, 2/3 of the meat produced in Russia (in weight terms) comes from poultry farms. Of the remaining 33% of the meat market, 3/4 is pork, and about 13-15% is beef. The production of lamb, goat meat, rabbit meat, horse meat and other types of meat is relatively small.

State and dynamics of industry development

The development of livestock farming in Russia has been extremely uneven in the last quarter of a century. After the collapse of the USSR, the industry plunged into an acute systemic crisis, which led to a sharp reduction in production volumes. Only at the turn of the millennium did the decline stop and a gradual recovery began, which accelerated in the mid-2000s.

Over the past two years, production dynamics have remained positive, however, the growth rate has slowed down significantly, and for certain types of livestock production, production indicators have even begun to decline. Thus, according to official statistics, gross meat production in 2015 increased by 4.6% compared to 2014 and reached 13.5 million tons in live weight. The highest growth rates were demonstrated by industry leaders - poultry farming (+8%) and pig farming (+4.5%). But beef production, on the contrary, decreased by 1%.

Cattle breeders also failed to increase the volume of milk production, the output of which at the end of last year amounted to less than 31 million tons, which corresponds to the level of the year before. 2015 was not a turning point for chicken egg producers either: 42.5 billion eggs were produced, which is only 1.5% more than in 2014.

As for the live population of farm animals, the best dynamics were also recorded in pig and poultry farms. As of the beginning of this year, the number of pigs increased by 7% (to 20.9 million heads), and birds of all types by 3.9% (to 547.9 million heads). But the number of cattle in 2015 decreased by as much as 2% and amounted to 19.2 million heads. At the same time, the number of cows decreased even more - by 2.5% (to 8.3 million heads). The population of sheep and goats in all categories of farms remained without significant changes - 24.7 million heads.

Taken together, all livestock sectors in Russia satisfy the population's needs for basic products of animal origin by 80-90%.

Efficiency of the Russian livestock industry

The profitability of Russian agriculture in general and livestock farming in particular, according to most analysts, is extremely low and is the main limiting factor for the development of the industry. Since data on the return on investment in an agricultural business is usually not disclosed, accurate information on this indicator simply does not exist. Based on financial statements published by the largest agricultural holdings in Russia, operating profitability for some of the most privileged types of livestock farming can reach 50%, but such results are not achievable for most small and medium-sized farms.

Most analysts agree that the profitability of dairy production is somewhere around 2%, and taking into account government subsidies - 6-8%. More profitable is the production of pork - 20%, as well as poultry meat - 17%. At the same time, profitability very much depends on the economic and geographical conditions of the production region.

The reasons for the low profitability of Russian livestock farming are both objective factors (for example, natural and climatic factors) and technological imperfections. While large vertically integrated agricultural holdings are still able to provide the proper level of mechanization and automation of production, small and medium-sized farms still largely use manual labor and work using outdated or simply incorrect technologies.

For example, more than a quarter of Russian dairy farms still do not have comprehensive mechanization of production processes, that is, at least part of the work is still done manually. There is even more manual labor in meat farming - about 40% of enterprises do not have comprehensive mechanization. In small farms and family farms, the use of manual labor is even greater and, according to various estimates, amounts to about 70-80%.

As for farming technologies, the main problems here are related to the use of low-productive breeds of animals and insufficient levels of feeding. Thus, Russian cows on average receive half as many calories as American cows. A low level of feeding affects the final yield of finished products per animal. The result is low profitability of livestock farming in Russia.

The unbalanced diet of animals is explained, on the one hand, by incorrect technology for distributing feed (some of it simply crumbles or is trampled), outdated approaches to calculating the diet, as well as the low quality of the feed itself. For example, according to available data, approximately a third of hay, silage and feed grains significantly lose quality due to improper storage technologies. However, in the diet of animals this low-quality food is taken into account as complete food.

Map of Russian livestock farming

Livestock farming of varying degrees of intensity and technological level exists almost everywhere where people permanently live. It is noteworthy that in the western and southern regions of the country (including in the south of Siberia and the Far East), livestock production is predominantly commercial in nature. But in areas with an unfavorable climate and difficult terrain (mountainous regions of the Caucasus, Siberia, the Arctic, the Far East), breeding farm animals largely has the character of traditional folk crafts. This is especially true in sheep, horse and reindeer husbandry.

Dairy farming in Russia, as one of the most resource-intensive and at the same time popular types of animal production, is concentrated in regions with extensive meadow pastures: the Northern and Northwestern economic regions, as well as some regions of the Urals, the Far East and the Non-Chernozem Zone. Beef cattle breeds are less demanding on feed, and therefore can be grazed on drier pastures. These are mainly the regions of the North Caucasus, the Volga region and the Southern Urals. In addition, meat and dairy production is quite developed in the Central Black Earth Zone and Western Siberia.

Pig farming is most profitable if the animal's diet is based on food industry waste. That is why pig-breeding complexes are concentrated mainly in those regions where sugar beets and sunflowers are actively processed: the North Caucasus, the Volga region, and the Central Black Earth Region.

Since sheep are the most unpretentious farm animals in terms of housing conditions and feed, they are bred where there is simply no place to graze cows - in the arid and mountainous regions of the North Caucasus, the Volga region and southern Siberia.

Poultry farming provides more than 60% of meat products on the Russian market. And since the bird is kept indoors without any contact with the outside world, its breeding is possible almost everywhere. In the vicinity of most large cities there are at least several small poultry farms, but their largest concentration is still in the southern regions: in the North Caucasus, Central Black Earth and Volga economic regions.

Horses of meat and dairy breeds are bred mainly in areas inhabited by peoples of the Altai group, in whose culinary culture horse meat and mare's milk play an important role. The largest volumes of production of these products occur in Bashkiria, Tatarstan, Buryatia, Tuva and Altai. In addition, horses are bred for meat and milk in Yakutia and some areas of the North Caucasus.

Oddly enough, the map of Russian livestock production also includes the tundra and taiga - areas that are extremely unsuitable for most farm animals. The only type of livestock that does well here is deer. Reindeer husbandry is well developed in Yakutia, the Nenets, Yamalo-Nenets and Chukotka Autonomous Okrugs.