Meat Quality
In the task “Meat Quality” of the GREENANIMO project, researchers from Trakia University will be trained in modern methods for meat quality prediction. The research laboratories of INRAE (France) and SRUC (Scotland) have been in use of farmers for years to improve their beef herds and produce high quality meat. Experience and knowledge from abroad will be transferred to the Faculty of Agriculture and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Trakia University through courses and training in laboratories, farms and slaughterhouses in France and Scotland. The methods will be optimized for application in farms in Bulgaria and practical training will be provided for their use by farmers. In the meat markets, the most expensive and most sought are those fattened beef and sheep animals, in which the quality of the meat has been predicted while they were still alive. Scientists abroad use the methods of ultrasound, computed tomography, NIRS spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging. Through the skin of animals by application of these methods can be determined indicators of muscularity, marbling, tenderness, water content, fat content, eating qualities and others. Consumers are looking for meat from animals raised in an agro-ecological conditions, with pastures and without artificial feed additives, which is a successful and profitable model for farmers. Joint activities between scientists and farmers are planned in English and Bulgarian languages, as well as mobility exchanges in France and Scotland for 7 to 20 days. The main goal is to increase the scientific capacity at Trakia University, which the Bulgarian rural production can use for high quality production of beef meat and local meat products.
Feed Efficiency
Nutrition represents one of the most serious limitations to livestock production. Feed intake varies greatly among individuals, because of variation in energy metabolism, growth potential, and other factors. On the other hand, feed efficiency in beef cattle is a complex concept that needs a complete understanding and specific knowledge from many different scientific disciplines. By short- and medium-term exchanges of Trakia University’s researchers at INRAE and SRUC will be acquired the most powerful knowledge and innovation practices widely used in these leading partners. Besides the activities to transfer knowledge the researchers from partner institutions will design joint scientific projects in the field of ruminant nutrition. This will allow Trakia University to upgrade its research and education capability and to train both senior and young scientists in new several topics related to the new INRA feeding systems, protocol, and techniques for measuring feed efficiency of beef cattle and sheep, etc. Then, all this new knowledge and best practices will be disseminated to students, farmers, and industry in order to greatly improve the profitability of the beef cattle industry.
Animal Welfare
Over the last 20 years in the European Union, protocols have been developed for the practical welfare assessment of sheep and cattle under grazing conditions. The most accurate criterion for an objective assessment of the welfare of animals is their behaviour. Therefore, knowledge and use of modern methods for behaviour studying is a key point for assessing their well-being.
The first main task of the Division – “Animal Welfare” of the GREENANIMO Project, is to study modern methods of behavioural research of meat breeds of sheep and cows under pasture conditions.
The issue of the animal welfare nature and the application of strict protocols for its assessment has been raised by the European Commission, but these protocols are still a novelty and have no practical application in Bulgaria. The protocols for welfare quality assessment of cattle and sheep under pasture rearing should be clarified and popularized in the Republic of Bulgaria.
Therefore, the second main task of the Division – “Animal Welfare” of the GREENANIMO Project is to assess the welfare quality of cattle and sheep under pasture rearing, based on the experience of partners – INRAE (France) and SRUC (Scotland).
The third main task is an in-depth training in ethology and the creation of stable knowledge and practical skills about the ethology essence, animal behaviour, the use of modern methods for ethological research, and the welfare assessment of sheep and cattle in the students in veterinary medicine and agriculture sciences, as well as other veterinary and agricultural specialists.
The first main task of the Division – “Animal Welfare” of the GREENANIMO Project, is to study modern methods of behavioural research of meat breeds of sheep and cows under pasture conditions.
The issue of the animal welfare nature and the application of strict protocols for its assessment has been raised by the European Commission, but these protocols are still a novelty and have no practical application in Bulgaria. The protocols for welfare quality assessment of cattle and sheep under pasture rearing should be clarified and popularized in the Republic of Bulgaria.
Therefore, the second main task of the Division – “Animal Welfare” of the GREENANIMO Project is to assess the welfare quality of cattle and sheep under pasture rearing, based on the experience of partners – INRAE (France) and SRUC (Scotland).
The third main task is an in-depth training in ethology and the creation of stable knowledge and practical skills about the ethology essence, animal behaviour, the use of modern methods for ethological research, and the welfare assessment of sheep and cattle in the students in veterinary medicine and agriculture sciences, as well as other veterinary and agricultural specialists.
Farming Systems
There are many farming systems to produce beef and sheep meat but each of them have different impacts on the following: 1) animal performance, health and welfare; 2) meat quantity and quality; 3) farm economics, effectiveness and profit.
Choosing the right system depends on local conditions, climate, available feeding components, herd size, breed and genetic level of animals, level of knowledge and good practice of farmers, consumer demand, workload etc. However, this choice has to be not hazard but well-founded and estimated by modelling and to give investors the best advice.
The targets of the part “Farming systems” of the project GREENANIMO is to implement knowledge and achievements of developed countries on main factors of beef and sheep farming systems, modelling of farming systems (sustainability, mixed, intensive, extensive) with regard to farm profit, meat production and meat quality. Other task is to take knowledge and good practices in the field of smart methods for recording of economically significant beef (and meat sheep) traits and to apply the performance recording data from different sources (farms, slaughter factories, test-station for progeny test-program, AI companies, Cattle markets etc.) in one Service Operating System for need of beef breeders, professional organizations and researchers.
Environmental management in grazing beef and sheep production is therefore just as important to the future of the industry and its individual producers as is product (meat) quality, profitability and market access. We will attempt to create а Network of agro-ecology farms because it is good for both consumers (healthy meat) and the environment (soil, water and air management).
Previous experiences of leading institutions INRAE in France and SRUC in the United Kingdom will be applied in the first part of the study to explore options for further development of the Bulgarian grazing livestock productive system and meat industry.
Dissemination activities and promotion of newly-developed program knowledge and experiences is oriented to the young and early career researchers and business operators by multidimensional interdisciplinary system for scientific and popular media activity and publications as well social demonstration and programs. Addressing the problems of the primary grazing livestock production and the needs for a thematic university centre interacting with the meat quality and productivity systems is a core challenge for the present project.
The target will be achieved through the following activities:
• Medium and short-term trainings (on-line and on-site in leading institutions) on the main important field of expertise in the theme „Farming systems”. We plan to receive knowledge in: designing and evaluating farming systems; Precision Livestock farming technologies (intensive and extensive systems) for ruminants (beef, meat sheep and goats); smart methods of animal recording and support of IoT data-systems for purposes of selection and for management of farms.
Next steps, which is very important, are trainings and knowledge transfer from GREENANIMO team to people directly involve in beef and sheep meat business – farmers, experts from governmental and non- governmental institutions and organizations. That will help and encourage the meat business in Bulgaria (from herbivore meat livestock) to develop and to became more effective and sustainable.
These trainings will also be used to launch joint research initiatives, such as preparation of project proposals and to raise research activity.
• Joint participation of researchers in selected international scientific events and joint papers. These are good possibilities to disseminate scientific results and to obtain feedback from peers. The joint participation will enable the promotion of TrU within the network of contact of the top institutions involved in this GREENANIMO project action.
• Joint organization of seminars, conferences and workshops (on-line for now because of pandemic situation), including thematic workshops related to different application areas of “Farming systems”. This will further increase the promoter visibility and improve its skills for future organization of relevant conferences and workshops.
• Organization of “hands-on” joint summer school, including keynote speeches, “hands-on” practical sessions and participation in farm-site visits. The participants can improve their technical and scientific skills in real environment.
Choosing the right system depends on local conditions, climate, available feeding components, herd size, breed and genetic level of animals, level of knowledge and good practice of farmers, consumer demand, workload etc. However, this choice has to be not hazard but well-founded and estimated by modelling and to give investors the best advice.
The targets of the part “Farming systems” of the project GREENANIMO is to implement knowledge and achievements of developed countries on main factors of beef and sheep farming systems, modelling of farming systems (sustainability, mixed, intensive, extensive) with regard to farm profit, meat production and meat quality. Other task is to take knowledge and good practices in the field of smart methods for recording of economically significant beef (and meat sheep) traits and to apply the performance recording data from different sources (farms, slaughter factories, test-station for progeny test-program, AI companies, Cattle markets etc.) in one Service Operating System for need of beef breeders, professional organizations and researchers.
Environmental management in grazing beef and sheep production is therefore just as important to the future of the industry and its individual producers as is product (meat) quality, profitability and market access. We will attempt to create а Network of agro-ecology farms because it is good for both consumers (healthy meat) and the environment (soil, water and air management).
Previous experiences of leading institutions INRAE in France and SRUC in the United Kingdom will be applied in the first part of the study to explore options for further development of the Bulgarian grazing livestock productive system and meat industry.
Dissemination activities and promotion of newly-developed program knowledge and experiences is oriented to the young and early career researchers and business operators by multidimensional interdisciplinary system for scientific and popular media activity and publications as well social demonstration and programs. Addressing the problems of the primary grazing livestock production and the needs for a thematic university centre interacting with the meat quality and productivity systems is a core challenge for the present project.
The target will be achieved through the following activities:
• Medium and short-term trainings (on-line and on-site in leading institutions) on the main important field of expertise in the theme „Farming systems”. We plan to receive knowledge in: designing and evaluating farming systems; Precision Livestock farming technologies (intensive and extensive systems) for ruminants (beef, meat sheep and goats); smart methods of animal recording and support of IoT data-systems for purposes of selection and for management of farms.
Next steps, which is very important, are trainings and knowledge transfer from GREENANIMO team to people directly involve in beef and sheep meat business – farmers, experts from governmental and non- governmental institutions and organizations. That will help and encourage the meat business in Bulgaria (from herbivore meat livestock) to develop and to became more effective and sustainable.
These trainings will also be used to launch joint research initiatives, such as preparation of project proposals and to raise research activity.
• Joint participation of researchers in selected international scientific events and joint papers. These are good possibilities to disseminate scientific results and to obtain feedback from peers. The joint participation will enable the promotion of TrU within the network of contact of the top institutions involved in this GREENANIMO project action.
• Joint organization of seminars, conferences and workshops (on-line for now because of pandemic situation), including thematic workshops related to different application areas of “Farming systems”. This will further increase the promoter visibility and improve its skills for future organization of relevant conferences and workshops.
• Organization of “hands-on” joint summer school, including keynote speeches, “hands-on” practical sessions and participation in farm-site visits. The participants can improve their technical and scientific skills in real environment.
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