Belgian Blue in the Czech Republic

The first import of 10 Belgian Blue heifers has been realised from Holland in 1994 to the farm which belong to Institute of Animal Science in Prague-Uhrineves. However, the first contact with the Belgian Blue breed have been done few year earlier by importation of insemination doses and embryos under the PHARE program. Unfortunately, several years later due to sanitary problems the Uhrineves Belgian Blue herd was muted until there was finally completely abolished. However, since the beginning of the breeding, it was clear that in the pure form would be difficult to find breed's application. It is caused by both increased demands on management of breeding, which is much different than other beef breeds (feeding, breeding, calving, etc.), but also the economic conditions in the Czech market for slaughter cattle. Because in the Czech Republic there is no significant price differentiation between beef from cull cows from dairy systems against high-quality beef from a beef breed. Therefore the breeding of Belgian Blue cattle can't compete economically to other beef breeds even sold as weaned calves or fattening animals. In pure form, the Belgian blue animals are currently engaged in essentially only few breeders. The increase in the number of pure breeds can be expected only if there is a change in the market for beef in the Czech republic or there will be a breeder who will have breeding a "hobby" rather than a major financial income. Like elsewhere in Europe and the world, in our conditions breed comes in the last years of increasing importance for use in a commercial crossbreeding.

Information on the number of animals and farms and other breeding information evaluated in the context of performance tests, see 'closing KUMP'.