Modern sheep breeding is a strategic branch of the national economy, because it is an important source base for other branches of industry and also has big social significance. It provides the rural population in various climate conditions with employment and sustainability.

With this in mind, on July 13th, 2011, a round-table discussion “National projects formation: Problems and perspectives of sheep breeding revival in Kherson region” was held, which was organized by Kherson regional investment and development center and Kherson chamber of commerce and industry. Also, the participants of the round-table were scientists of the Institute of Animal Breeding in the Steppe Regions “Ascania Nova”, scientists of leading Kherson universities, business representatives, and journalists.

The discussion was opened by Ivanova Galyna Borysivna, director of the Kherson regional investment and development center. She reported about the necessity and general perspectives of sheep breeding revival as of the component of Kherson regional investment priorities.

Main problems of sheep breeding in Kherson region were highlighted by Zharuk Pavlo Grygorovich, head of the sheep department of the Institute of Animal Breeding in the Steppe Regions “Ascania Nova”. He noted that the further development of the sheep breeding in Ukraine is due to the need of finding new profitable ways of sheep breeding. In his opinion, the main problems are economic motivation, land, industrial and technological base, livestock reproduction, energy efficiency and processing infrastructure.

Nezhlukchenko Tetyana Ivanivna, dean of the Biotechnological Department of Kherson State Agrarian University, in her report “Use of genetic reserves of Taurian type of the Ascanian breed. Ways of improving the meat quality of sheep” spoke about the importance of the sheep breeding development on the industrial base, highlighted main technological indexes. Also, specialists of Kherson State Agrarian University, in particular Papakina N.S., Ryapolova I.O., Vovchenko B.O., presented a “Project of sheep breeding production under the farm enterprise”, which determined ways and conditions of production under the farm enterprise and principles of its organization.

Naumova Larisa Mykolayivna, Head of the Department of Foreign Economic Activity at Kherson National Technologic University, also presented a report among other participants of the round-table. She emphasized the necessity and expediency of cluster creation as an optimum means of sheep breeding recovery. It has to be a combination of companies and government, science and infrastructure. Such a cluster together with organizational and methodological management center will play a big educational, as well as industrial and scientific role.

Based on the results of the round-table discussion the participants decided:
1. to create a working group to develop a project concept “Ways of sheep breeding revival in Kherson region”;
2. to include the participants of the round-table discussion to the working group;
3. to include the Project to the Program of strategic development of the Kherson region together with the authorities;
4. to achieve the status of the National Project together with the authorities.