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Farming family offers Russians new source of meat
Published: 18 August, 2007, 11:13
A farming family in Russia’s Novgorod Region is hoping to supply the country's tables with a new variety of beef. They have begun to breed American bison – and they say the animals have adapted well to the Russian climate.
Moving the usual country cow aside, bison have become a new industrial breeding enterprise.
“The bison are low-maintenance – they graze in the open, don't need be milked, can reproduce naturally without artificial insemination, and seem to adapt to the local weather,” says Vasily Gvozdev, the bison keeper.
“They can handle winter. We had temperatures of 40 below two years ago. They withstood the temperatures well,” he notes.
The breeding done in the region is the first of its kind in Russia, and breeders are hoping to see the popularity of their animals grow in the country.
“These are the first animals of their kind in Russia. In the U.S. – they’re one of the known sources of meat,” says Elena Högberg, Bison Farm Owner.
Elena Högberg owns a bison farm. Her Swedish husband, Rikard, was the one who came up with the idea for the business. After inheriting money in his native country, he decided to set up an agricultural enterprise in Russia.
“The markets in Sweden have already been claimed. But here in Russia the economy is growing and developing very quickly,” Rikard Högberg says.
The family is confident that its efforts in setting up their business might just serve as an example for others looking to explore the opportunities that farming has to offer.
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It's all wanderfull but I do not understand just one thing: american prairie bison is a foreign species in Eurasia which has NEVER lived here at any geological time (unlike giant wood bison from Canada which is origianlly a Siberian animal that evolved in our country and only then migrated into North America). The pairie bison is well established in America itself being counted by thousands now. At the same time we, Russians have our own, very precious species of bison - the wiscent. It is CRITICALLY endangered and REALLY needs to be multipled as much as possible. Why those farmers invested money into bringing here a foreighn animal and did not buy a group of our own wiscent? - They could both multiple the Red-Book aniumals and have money from their meat since it is absolutely possible to cull the worst wiscent calves and turn free the best. It is done all over with rare species, why not here? Все здорово, но почему решили работать с чужеродным прерийным бизоном из Америки, а не с нашими родными и редчайшими зубрами??????? Им-то реально помощь нужна - при расплоде худших телят (их всегда большинство, как и у домашних животных) выкармливают на мясо,как этих пресловутых бизонов, а отдельных самых крупных, сильных и длиннорогих (и агрессивных) - подращивают и затем сформированными группами отпускают в лес для формирования нового стада на свободе. Так с редкими видами в зоокультуре постоянно работают. Но только не в России, судя по всему. Почему опять через задницу такая классная идея реализована?