Hungarian Sheep and Goat Breeders’ Association
On April 25, 1991, the National Association of Sheep Breeders was established with the participation of 55 sheep breeders. The main task of the new organization was to reorganize the registration work, to save the herds and their breeding documents. From the very beginning, we have developed a completely new type and structure of registration and registration system, which also complies with international and EU regulations. The basis of breeding became pure breeding (after the cross-breeding wave of the previous decades), from which, of course, the introduction of planned end-product cross-breeding programs is recommended.
Since 1995, the Association has not only dealt with stock farms, but has also been involved in the individual register of sheep flocks receiving sheep farming subsidy. Subsequently, from 2001 onwards on the basis of a ministerial decree, the staff of the Association identifies individually all sheep over 6 months old and carries out the announcement of this identification into the authentic national register/database. Also in accordance with legal regulations, the Association participates in the provision of tools and forms necessary for registration and identification for the farmers, in making of annual individual stocktaking and in the management of the database related to the register. From 2008 the activities of the association expanded with the performance of identification of goats, and from 2009 with the registration and performance testing of goat breeds, therefore from March 5, 2009 we represent our members under the name of Hungarian Sheep and Goat Breeders’ Association.
We consider it a very important task to provide members and producers with all the up-to-date information that can help them in their breeding decisions. Breeders might experience since years that the Hungarian Sheep and Goat Breeders’ Association immediately notifies the sheep and goat keepers of the current tasks almost simultaneously with the publication of the regulations and tenders. The regional representatives of the association visit all sheep and goat breeders all over the country to carry out the registration and identification work, whereas they have also the opportunity too for giving direct personal advices to the breeders. In addition to this direct method, the association considers it its basic task to provide information through website, e-mail, sms, letter, newspaper, publications, general meetings, regional meetings and exhibitions. The association is the largest professional and social advocacy organization in the Hungarian small ruminant sector, which fully represents the interests of Hungarian sheep and goat keepers in all forums, and deals with the strategic issues of the sector.