The aim of FAO project TCP/RER/3604 was to elaborate breeding goals and plans for breeding and breed development of Caucasian Brown Cattle in Armenia and Georgia and Carpathian Brown Cattle in Ukraine. As a first step, information was collected about the breeds themselves and the environments in which they are kept. Approximately 300 phenotypic pure cows and 20 pure bulls were selected in each country, and phenotypic information was recorded. The assessments were carried out under the guidance of Tamas Szobolevszki, with support from each country’s national consultants and service providers. Genetic material was collected, genotyped, and used for a study on the genetic background of the breeds by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna (FAO/IAEA, 2019).

At two workshops held with stakeholders involved in the breed development of Caucasian/Carpathian Brown Cattle, a concept of a breeding strategy was developed, taking circumstances for implementation into account. 

The overall goal of the strategy is to conserve Carpathian Brown Cattle and Caucasian Brown Cattle breeds by making use of the potential for improving the breeds genetically. As the population of the pure Caucasian Brown Cattle in Armenia and Georgia is about 70 000 and 160 000 cows, respectively, this document has developed a breeding program with the aim of increasing the genetic gain for Pure Caucasian Brown, according the breeding goal for the breed. For Carpathian Brown, whose population is estimated at fewer than 1 000, the aim is to develop an in situ conservation program.