VLADIVOSTOK, September 12. /TASS/. Yakutia uses only 42% of its potential to cultivate deer farming, yet the industry’s further development may bolster the export of biologically valuable materials, Head of Yakutia’s Agriculture Academy Ivan Sleptsov said at the Eastern Economic Forum on Wednesday.
"Russia’s natural reindeer pastures occupy 335.2 million hectares, which is 19.6% of the territory, where the tenth part is located in Yakutia," he said. "Potentially, 37 million hectares could be sufficient for 371,000 animals - in other words, the republic has been using only 42.2% of the sector’s potential, not to mention other factors."
The Russian Federation can boost capacity of the deer industry thereby building up the country’s export, he added.
Deer products (meat, milk, pelts, horns, blood, and endocrine materials) have many valuable features, which have not been studied thoroughly, he continued. "With the full use of the sector’s potential, its meat production may increase by 5-6 times, thus, in the future the importance of reindeer husbandry as a source of valuable biological materials will and should grow," he said.
The Russian Federation’s terrain may be sufficient for breeding 2,831,500 animals. Thus, the industry may produce 223,000 tonnes of meat, and an important factor is that this sector does not require building special farm houses, nor does it need electricity or heating, the expert told the forum.
That being said, Yakutia’s livestock comes to 157,000 reindeers.
The 4th Eastern Economic Forum is underway in Vladivostok. TASS is the event’s general information partner, photo-host agency and moderator of the forum’s zone for investment projects’ presentation.