The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has published for public consultation a draft order updating the technical rules on the organization and conduct of natural mating, a key area for ensuring genetic progress and veterinary control in animal husbandry. The new regulation will replace Order No. 180/2020 and aims to provide a clearer framework for breeders, associations, and authorized mating stations.

National coordination will fall under the National Agency for Animal Husbandry “Prof. Dr. G. K. Constantinescu” (ANZ), the institution responsible for authorizing male breeders, supervising mating points and stations, and verifying activity records. The draft introduces clear definitions for the types of mating — public, private, and harem — and sets out additional requirements regarding the quality, safety, and traceability of the reproduction process.

A central chapter concerns the authorization of male breeders. They must be purebred, registered in genealogical records, hold zootechnical certificates, and undergo fertility tests and genetic evaluations. Owners of breeding males will be required to provide optimal conditions for housing, feeding, hygiene, and veterinary care, as well as to maintain daily records of mating activities.

The draft order also sets clear limits on the maximum number of females allocated to each breeding male, depending on the species:

– 40–70 females for bulls or buffaloes; – 20–30 for boars of local breeds; – 30–45 for rams and bucks; – 20–30 for stallions.

In addition, breeders and associations will be required to submit monthly reports to the county offices for animal husbandry, detailing all mated females and offspring produced, in order to enable the centralization of data and the monitoring of genetic progress at the national level.

Another important objective of the new rules is the promotion of authorized breeders from native breeds, thus contributing to the conservation of the national genetic heritage and to enhancing the competitiveness of livestock populations. The authorization and reporting system will become increasingly digitalized, through IT applications managed by ANZ, in line with current efforts to modernize agricultural administration.

Through this initiative, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development sends a clear message: breeding activity must be controlled, documented, and performance-oriented, in order to ensure the sustainability of Romanian animal husbandry.

(Photo: Freepik)