Dairy Farming Development in Udmurtia, Russia: Digital and Biological Transformation

Abstract

Dairy cattle breeding is a priority for the Udmurt Republic (Russia), as future growth depends on the adoption of breakthrough innovations. This study assesses the impact of digital and biological technologies on regional dairy farming. The analysis draws on correlation methods and data from statistical agencies and the regional Ministry of Agriculture, reflecting dairy production and related breeding and genetic activities. Digital transformation in livestock farming is driven by automation and robotization, while genomic selection relies on evaluating animals’ breeding value. This approach allows forecasting offspring quality from parental traits and assessing the breeding value of newborn animals based on productivity, longevity, health, and fertility. Currently, genomic evaluation is applied only to breeding animals, which explains the strong correlation between the number of breeding cows and average milk yield per cow. The findings indicate that biologically driven breeding and genetic work accelerate milk productivity growth. Milk yield is strongly linked to cows’ productive lifespan and feed consumption: as yield per cow increases, productive lifespan tends to shorten, and feed consumption rises, although feed cost per centner of milk decreases. The article provides recommendations for advancing genomic selection in regional dairy farming, offering guidance for policymakers and practitioners to improve breeding practices and trait selection.