The University of Ljubljana held a training program for participants of the ERASMUS+ SULAWE project
On 10 June, the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) launched the training programme for participants of the ERASMUS+ SULAWE project “Sustainable Livestock and Animal Welfare”, Module 1 “Sustainable Livestock”. Marija Klopčič introduced the study tour programme to the academic staff of higher education institutions and presented the concepts of sustainable development, sustainable agricultural production and sustainable livestock management in an interesting and informative way. Mojca Simčić covered the topic of conservation of indigenous sheep breeds (animal genetic resources). It was informative and interesting.
The following day, Marija Klopčič gave a lecture on the Production of Livestock Products in Slovenia, and Silvestre Žgur presented the topic of Biochemistry of Meat in Relation to Animal Stress. The programme participants took part in the international online webinar Innovative Technologies in Dairy Farming in the Netherlands.
The third day of the programme began with a lecture by Marija Klopčič on dairy farming in Slovenia and its role in the country’s agricultural production. The project participants visited the Family c Сretnik dairy farm, which has a slatted floor system with a special coating.
The participants also visited a family sheep farm that specialises in the sale of lamb. The farm has about 700 heads of animals. The owner shared the conditions of keeping and feeding the sheep.
The fourth day was filled with information on the impact of livestock production on the environment, biodiversity, climate change, and antimicrobial resistance. Marija Klopčič addressed the issues of a new paradigm for the future of livestock production in Slovenia and the challenges facing producers in the context of adaptation to climate change on the planet.
As part of the programme, the participants also visited the pastures where beef cows of the Cherolais and Limousin breeds are kept. The animals are grazed from April to November and reach a live weight of about 800 kg. In the winter, they are fed haylage and mineral fodder, and bulls are given concentrated feed.
The project participants also visited a dairy goat farm where goats of the local Slovenian Alpine breed are kept, with a milk yield of 500 litres of milk per lactation. They also visited the Logatec testing facility for cattle, sheep and goats, which belongs to the Biotechnology Faculty of the University of Ljubljana. Logatec is a base for training students and postgraduates and conducting genetic selection work.
The participants continued their work at the Faculty of Biotechnology of the University of Ljubljana. The project participants were presented with lectures by leading university scientists. Tatiana Pirman, the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Biotechnology, presented a lecture on the structure, function and work of the faculties and research centres of the University of Ljubljana, as well as the research and teaching activities of the teachers.
Professor Obžej Podčepan presented an interesting lecture on Animal Welfare in the Context of Sustainable Livestock Production. The professor highlighted the issues of keeping, feeding and exploitation of animals on Slovenian farms and voiced the problems faced by farmers in modern production conditions.
At the University of Ljubljana, the Meat Biochemistry Laboratory conducted a practical training on determining the quality of meat by organoleptic indicators (determination of pH, electrical conductivity, muscle fibre tensile strength and taste when cooked at different temperature conditions). The following instruments and equipment were used in the study of the samples: a pH meter and a Warner Brazner device.
The project participants also visited Jacob Dolinar’s family farm, which was founded in 1761, has 50 hectares of land and specialises in the production of milk and dairy products from Simmental cows. The farm is located high in the mountains 700 m above sea level, and the animals are kept on pasture from April to November, with stalls in winter. The farm has 30 heads of dairy herd and 15 heifers. The cows are highly productive with a milk yield of 28 litres, milk fat content of 4.3% and protein content of 3.8%. The dairy products are used to make soft, hard, sour-milk cheeses, yoghurts, butter, and sour cream at the farm’s own mini cheese factory.
The study visit was conducted at a high level. The participants received a lot of useful and interesting information that will be used in their future work.
