Diversity

About Israeli CattleAbout Israeli Cattle

For years Israeli cattle ranchers have been on a quest to produce a high-yielding dairy cow adapted the local climate conditions. To that end they have brought in genetic materials from many sources to improve locally available cattle. The effort began in the early 1920’s with the importation of Friesian bulls from the Netherlands and Germany to upgrade the indigenous Damascene and Baladi dairy cows. In 1947, ten Holstein bulls were imported from Canada and they and their sons were heavily used through artificial insemination. From 1950 through 1962 Holstein bulls and cows were imported from the United States for cross breeding. Since 1963 nearly all Israeli dairy cows have been mated to bulls bred locally.

Currently, there are about 110,000 dairy cows in Israel and practically all of them are Israeli Holstein Cattle. And the number of Israeli cattle has practically remained the same over the last 20 years. About 60% of all cows are concentrated in Kibbuts herds (large units in cooperatively owned and managed farms), while the remainder belong to Moshev herds (family farms).