CAPRIROM – The National Association of Goat Breeders – Progess in the Development of Goat Husbandry in Romania

​Written by Dr. Stela Zamfirescu, former IGA Board member, Vice president and Honorary president of Romanian Goat Association, CAPRIROM

The goat breeding sector in Romania has steadily increased in the past decade, reaching a total of 1,868,000 head at the end of 2016. Of these, 1,125,600 are reproduction-aged goats, and over 133,000 young female goats are mated. The interest of the Romanian population in consuming goat products – meat, milk and by-products has risen continuously. ANCC Caprirom had a major positive impact on the development of the goat sector, both socially and economically. ​

​By its structure and goals, ANCCC uses the tools of the multidisciplinary approach, corroborating activities from different areas: animal husbandry consultancy (livestock breeding technologies, reproduction, selection and amelioration, nutrition) and economic consultancy (marketing plans for capitalizing productions, technical assistance to achieve national and European programs like National Rural Development Program, European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the representation of breeders and processors on traditional and modern markets), education and professional training (courses, workshops, symposia, congresses), activities regarding the representation of the rights and interests of goat breeders in connection to various government agencies or NGOs.
 
Caprirom manages the Official Control of Milk Production for 11.1% of the national goat population, which was 80,000 head in 2016 and 100,000 head in 2017, reared on 420 goat farms. By its actions, ANCC Caprirom leaves its mark on the economy of the entire goat breeding sector, solving technical and real economic and social problems.
 
The association is divided into several subsidiaries: Caprirom Botosani, Caprirom Reghin, Caprirom Caransebes, Caprirom Onesti, Caprirom Popauti,Caprirom Bacau, Caprirom Constanta, Caprirom Dambovita, and Caprirom Teleorman. ANCCC is a founding member of the Romanian Association for Animal Genetic Resources Management and of the Romanian Federation of Animal Sciences.
 
The annual conference of the goat breeders is organized every year. On this occasion, the members are informed about the accomplishments of the previous year, the economic and financial activity is presented and the budget for the following year is approved.
 
From the beginning of its existence (1993), The National Romanian Association of Goat Breeders (Caprirom) aimed at interdisciplinary cooperation, not only at the national level but also internationally. Anchored at international level through its affiliation to IGA – the International Goat Association – since 2000, ANCC Caprirom promotes the tradition of small ruminant husbandry in Romania. The research activity is confirmed by the collaboration with The Palas Research and Development Institute for sheep and goat breeding of Constanta, “Ovidius” University of Constanta and with other universities with agricultural profile and by participating in national and international research projects. The number of IGA members range between 15 and 22.

The Conference of ANCC Caprirom, Targoviste 2015

Therefore, several associations, institutes, farmers and processors of European Union countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal were contacted in order to take over practical, scientific and organizational information.
 
With relevant activity in the goat farming field, ANCCC influences positively and resolves important issues of a developing goat sector that is founded on an occupation that has always defined the Romanian space. All these collaborations contributed decisively to the development of the association's activities that has become a known brand at the national and international level.
 
Among the first collaborations with a distinct impact on the dissemination of genetic progress through artificial insemination and embryo transfer was with the INRA Tour Institute, INRA Station Rouille Station and Procreatech Company. Here, Romanian specialists have improved their knowledge regarding the freezing of goat semen, the intracervical and laparoscopic insemination technique of goat with frozen sperm, and the technology of collecting, freezing and transferring of goat embryos. Later, this technique was spread in all research stations around the country. There followed a series of exchanges of information and visits to Spain, Germany, Belgium and France where genetically valuable genitors and frozen germplasm (semen and embryos) were acquired.
 
Caprirom joining IGA was another valuable contact after which the activity of the association was known worldwide, and Romanian animal husbandry. Since 2004, Romania has been one of the countries with the largest number of IGA members and has organized no less than three international conferences (Constanta 2004, Constanta 2006 and Oradea 2014). Specialists, farmers and IGA members attended international and regional conferences, where they presented scientific papers on topics such as reproduction, food and nutrition, and breeding and husbandry technologies. Between 2006 and 2008 Romania participated through Caprirom, along with five other European countries under a FAO project, to study goat farming systems in Romania.
 
Among the most important achievements of Caprirom is its participation, along with “Ovidius” University of Constanta, in the European project, entitled “Hormone-free non-seasonal or seasonal goat reproduction goat milk for a Sustainable European market – FLOCKREPROD”, (“Capacities” SMEs, under FP7). This project was realized by seven European countries. The research was finalized with the accomplishment of a Romanian practical guide for non-hormonal reproduction, which has been disseminated in over 400 copies to farms and private households.
 
Caprirom has been represented by Prof. Stela Zamfirescu at multiple international collaborations in parasitology (COST project – CAPARA – Goat parasites, 2010-2014), FAO project in goat nutrition  (Greece, 2007) and goat milk quality (Norway, 2011), and has a long collaboration with Heifer Project Romania Foundation for implementing projects in Romania with goats and sheep. One considerable impact upon the farmers is the journal “Goat Bulletin” and the books, News in Goat Farming and Goat breeding in East European Countries-Present and Future, endorsed by Caprirom.  
 
At present, ANCC Caprirom is the largest association of goat breeding in Romania and it keeps developing its activities, the technical base and the human resources with the purpose of satisfying the needs of goat breeders and supporting sustainable development in this important domain.
 
For more information, you can contact CAPRIROM at:
ANCC – CAPRIROM, Sos. I.C.Bratianu  nr. 248, Constanta 900316
tel/fax: 0241626511, 0727869984
e-mail: caprirom@canals.ro or caprirom@yahoo.com 
site: www.caprirom.ro