In order to foster the Jersey cattle industry, which focuses on the low-carbon, high-value-added Jersey cattle breed, the Gyeonggi Province Livestock Promotion Center invited five related organizations to participate in the ‘Jersey Industry Vitalization Conference’ on February 17.

The event was attended by representatives of 5 organizations: Gyeonggi Province, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; the Dairy Farming Promotion Association; the Korea Breeder Improvement Association; and Seoul Milk. Discussions were held on comprehensive promotion and future development plans for the Jersey cattle business, including such issues as improving the individual milk price system and fostering the Jersey brand in Gyeonggi in the future, in order to determine the viability of Jersey cattle industry establishment.

Jersey cows originate from the island of Jersey, United Kingdom. They have lower milk yields than Holsteins, the main cattle breed in Korea, but are suitable for producing high-quality dairy products due to the high protein and fat content of their milk. In addition, since Korea is sensitive to environmental issues and the demand for high-quality dairy products is steadily increasing, this breed is deemed suitable for Korea because it has relatively lower manure emissions including carbon and phosphorus content.

In order to contribute to 2030 national greenhouse gas reduction targets and the realization of carbon neutrality by 2050, Gyeonggi Province asserts that carbon reduction efforts are needed through the reform of the dairy industry.

In line with the establishment of the “Dairy Resources Team,” a dedicated team for the Jersey cattle industry, the Gyeonggi Province Livestock Promotion Center plans to intensively foster the industry this year in four major areas: institutional improvements to create a stable Jersey cattle industry ecosystem through measures such as the reorganization of the bond system; consultative body formation so as to create a future Jersey milk brand in Gyeonggi Province in conjunction with dairy farms, dairy companies, and others; semen and fertilized egg supply from exceptional specimens so as to expand the Jersey cattle industry foundation; and Jersey cattle industry promotion via research in key areas such as policy service consolidation for system development. To this end, the center plans to pursue efforts to ensure the success of the Jersey cattle industry, such as securing a related supplementary budget for 2023.

Moving forward, the production of fertilized Jersey eggs and semen will begin in March this year through the utilization of the facilities of the Dairy Resources Team, and by April this year, farmers will be recruited to launch Jersey brand milk and the project actively promoted.

Relevant organizations such as the Dairy Farming Promotion Association, the Korea Breeding Stock Improvement Association, and Seoul Milk, who participated in the conference, agreed on the need for improvements in the Jersey industry system, and shared the same opinion on the need for collaboration between the private and public sectors to vitalize the domestic Jersey cattle industry.