At this year’s National Livestock Exhibition near Sliven, at the invitation of NARMS, guests from Austria were present. Here’s what one of them told us – Eng. Mato Janic – Export Manager at GeneticAustria GmbH.
Hello, Mr. Janic, welcome to Bulgaria! Please introduce yourself in a few words to our audience.
Hello and thanks for the kind invitation! It is really interesting for me to have the opportunity to be part of the largest livestock forum in Bulgaria!
My name is Mato Janic and I was born in March 1989 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1992, when the war in Bosnia began, I left the country with my family left for Austria. We settled 50 km east of Salzburg. There I graduated from the Agricultural College in 2008. From 2009 to 2017 I worked as a specialist in livestock nutrition, where I gained a lot of valuable experience. Since the beginning of 2017, I am the Sales Director at Genetic Austria for breeding bulls, seed production and embryos. I also have my own cattle herd and I plan to build a farm in my country one day.
Tell us about Genetic Austria.
Genetic Austria is a subsidiary of the four major artificial insemination centers in Austria. These are the Oberösterreichische Besamungsstation (Upper Austria artificial insemination center), Genostar (Lower Austria and Styria artificial insemination centers) and Besamungsanstalt Klessheim (Klessheim artificial insemination center, Salzburg). We export breeding cattle, semen and embryos worldwide.
What are your impressions of the farms in Bulgaria?
The farms we visited are new and have good milk production potential. The work should focus on the proper nutrition and management of the herds as a whole. This is the key to profitability in milk production. Because even the best genetics is meaningless if you do not feed and care for the animals properly or don’t inseminate with quality seed material and good genetic planning.
Simmental animals are ideal for Bulgaria as they are able to produce almost the same amount of milk as common dairy breeds, but they are higher in protein and fat. The average period of economic use in them is longer than in the Holstein breed, where the cost of repairing the herd is not so high and farmers can set aside more heifers for breeding. Young animals have a high average daily growth, which brings farmers a higher income than meat. Simmental is a very good breed for fattening.
What are your recommendations and advice to our farmers?
Continually education, especially for breeding animals, for managing the herd and for proper nutrition. Learning by practice is also very important in raising cows, and control and monitoring are paramount.
Breeding, management and nutrition education are the most important things, but farmers also need to know what the best breed is for their purposes. Simmental is always a good choice!
What is most important for a start-up farm?
Cattle are not machines – they need special and competent care and cannot just be operated without thinking in perspective. Simmental is one of the most profitable breeds as long as the necessary living conditions are provided. Young breeders need to have a strong love for animals, iron nerves and a desire to learn and can do more!
What are the good practices that we should “import” in Bulgaria from Austria?
The first thing you need to import is more Simmental animals, and about the practices – you need to see them on the spot in our farms. This will be very useful for young farmers and professionals in your area!
What are your impressions of the exhibition in Sliven?
I was impressed by the variety of different breeds. Especially the locals. I didn’t expect you to have so many “own” breeds here. In the future we will need a stand where people who are interested in the Simmental breed can meet with professionals to advise them on the benefits and guide them on how and where they can buy first-class animals.
How do you see the cooperation with the Bulgarian Association for Breeding of Montbeliard and Simmental Breeds?
In our face you will have a partner you can trust! We are eager to help you provide the best heifers on Bulgarian farms and to advise you in every respect. We are already planning some joint activities and I hope they will be a fact soon!
What message would you send to our audience?
The visit to Bulgaria was impressive for me and I want to thank NARMS for the kind invitation! I wish you strong and successful cooperation with Austria Genetik in the future!