The UK is home to some of the richest and most diverse Farm Animal Genetic Resources in the world, with approximately 700 breeds including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses and ponies and
poultry. Indeed, the UK contains more than 9% of the 7,634 total global livestock breeds
There is a strong tradition of caring for animal genetic resources in the UK – thanks largely to the activities of individual breeders, breed societies, charities and non-governmental organisations.
However, the management of these livestock breeds is becoming an even greater challenge as the livestock sector continues to undergo changes as a result of intensification, different patterns of
demand, economic pressures and the emergence of new disease threats – and there are particular risks for small or geographically-concentrated breed populations. Some of these native breeds form an essential part of the management systems of common land, especially in the uplands.
This report contains information on the current state of the UK’s Farm Animal Genetic Resources. It will help teh UK Government to deliver on its international and domestic commitments to survey and monitor these resources, review how they are currently being used and conserved and how this is likely to change in the future. The collection of updated information has also helped in developing and revising official lists of UK breeds, including the UK Breeds at Risk (BAR) list for breeds that may be exempted from precautionary culling in the event of an exotic disease outbreak, and the UK Native Breeds at Risk (NBAR) list which is important for UK Rural Development Programmes and the provision of financial support for animal genetic resources.
The report can be downloaded from Defra's website http://www.defra.gov.uk/fangr/2013/02/06/country-report-draft/
