On August 20, 2012, in Saki (AR Crimea) with the support of Saki district council an Interregional theoretical and practical conference “Involvement of idle lands in creating stable fodder base for animal breeding” was held.

CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS:
- Sheep and Goat Breeders Association of Ukraine (Kiev);
- participants of the project “Strengthened economic and legal instruments for preservation of steppe biodiversity, adaptation to climate change and their mitigation”* ("Steppe biodiversity") (Lugansk);
- Kherson Chamber of Commerce and Industry, initiator of the sheep breeding recovery project "The Golden Fleece of Tavriya".

In the conference there took part the representatives of Kherson State Agrarian University, Taurida National V.Vernadsky University, stockbreeders of the Southern Ukraine, power officials and representatives of local government, environmental specialists.

The main subject of the conference were issues concerning preservation and rehabilitation of pastures, creation of fodder base for animal breeding, benefits of pasture management. Particular attention was paid to the revival of steppe sheep breeding, the necessity of creation of serving agricultural livestock cooperatives, restoration of pastures.

A common thread running through all the speeches and conference materials was the ecological component. Scientists are concerned about the state of steppe zone in Ukraine. According to them, land degradation has become catastrophic, and, without immediate science-based restoration, agriculture, including animal breeding, will suffer irretrievable losses.

Kherson ecologists are sounding the alarm about the state of Dnieper river basin. The latest map material "Map of flooding areas - Kherson region – 2011" was presented to the participants. The map was made by Dnipropetrovsk geophysical expedition "Dneprogeofizika" of State Geophysical Company "Ukrgeofizika" in accordance with the tasks defined in 2005-2007 by the Institute for National Security under the NSDC of Ukraine to combat progressive flooding through the example of Kherson region. According to ecologists, irrigation problems and the implementation of the "Kherson Grain 2012-2015" program requires very circumspective and balanced approach.

In conditions of flooding, optimal agro-landscape ability of the region to produce certain product and also territorial specialization of agroindustrial complex (taking into account specificity of soil and climate) should be defined, as well as availability of human, water, energy and other resources, conditions of storage, processing and transportation of products.

Ecologists highlight that the key principles of the industrial production directions of development in all fields of social production should be the following:
- reasonably regulated (territorially and quantitatively) sheep breeding with corresponding processing infrastructure;
- limited (area must be 3-4 times reduced!), reasonably regulated food and fodder crops cultivation, (especially corn as basis for recovery of cattle population and the resumption of meat-packing plants’ operation) with the mixed feed production infrastructure;
- phytotherapeutic rehabilitation of degraded land by planting fodder, honey and technically reclamative crops, including perennial;
- strategic importance for the region should be attached to the tasks of traditional branches development in agriculture: viticulture, melon growing, vegetable growing under the indispensable condition consisting in deep processing of agricultural products.

For successful comprehensive solution of these tasks irrigation is a definitive factor. However, it should be completely different. It is necessary to build a system of environmental local irrigation with the minimization of energy consumption on the basis of horizontal drainage and accumulation of ground and surface water and sediments in strictly defined places - lakes, pools, etc.

Summing up the conference, participants agreed to continue the active work in regions. There was made a decision on appropriateness to submit the materials and conclusions of the Interregional theoretical and practical conference “Involvement of idle lands in creating stable fodder base for animal breeding” to the supreme state authorities.
*) About the "Steppe biodiversity" project: http://www.kianews.com.ua/node/30737