Russian Delegates Unravelling Montana Genetics
US - This week, two important members of the Russian livestock industry will take a tour around Montana cattle ranches to see if they can use the beef genetics for more efficient productivion back on Russian grounds.
15 May 2008
1 minute read
According to the Farm and Ranch Gude, Igor Koskin, owner of the largest tannery in Europe near Ryazan, Russia, and Andrey Zhuravlev, president of Inter-Regional Beef Breeding Cattle Development, arrived in Billings on May 10 with interpreter Jhenya Surkova of the U.S. Embassy in Russia. The Montana Department of Agriculture is hosting the delegation in cooperation with Montana beef breeders.
Beef herds in Russia represent only 1 percent of the nation's cattle industry. Over the past 10 years, cattle numbers have been falling and government leaders are trying to encourage a resurgence of the industry through improved genetics and production practices, said Montana Department of Agriculture Director Ron de Yong.
The purpose of the delegation's visit is to foster relationships between Montana and Russia cattle ranchers in the hopes of increasing exports of Montana's beef cattle genetics, de Yong says. The group will visit CA Ranch and feedlot near Three Forks and the Stevenson Basin Angus Ranch at Hobson, among other stops.
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