Bocarp, the breed created for meat by Dobrogen researchers, by crossing the African goat with the native goat, could become a cheaper, tastier and healthier alternative for Romanians, as nutritionists and chefs claim in unison
The new breed of goats created by researchers from Constanța PHOTO Antonia Ispas
“The goat is the poor man's cow”, our elders used to say, because beef has always been expensive and always valued especially in refined dishes and food diets. As the cattle breeding industry is increasingly blamed for the polluting effects it has on environment, the problem could be solved thanks to Constanta researchers.
Thus, after a hard work of almost 14 years, the researchers of the Constanța Research and Development Institute for Sheep and Goat Breeding invented the only breed of meat goats in Romania, named Bocarp.
The new breed of goats created by researchers from Constanța PHOTO Antonia Ispas
The director of the institution explained that the idea came to them somehow imposed by the market, by the economic interest in this sector of activity.
“The goat species in Romania had a very big fall after 1990. Now it has revived, but they are not of good quality. We thought to improve the quality of the animals and implicitly the productions we get from them, so that those who raise them have a continuous interest in these species and in satisfying the market requirements. Since the goat was usually called the poor man's cow, we thought that with the higher demand in the market, we would create a breed of goats with a higher meat production than the existing breeds. It's a good thing for us, as research, and for the country, and for breeders”said Radu Răducu, director of the research institute.
A decade of research
Researchers have been working on this project since 2010, but only now have they obtained the first results.
“The best way was to create a new breed of goats through cross-breeding, using goats from the local breed, which are not productive but give resistance and good adaptability to the environmental conditions in Romania, and a breed perfected for meat production. We informed ourselves and chose an imported breed that has very good quality meat: Boer, from the Republic of South Africa, which we actually brought from England”explained the director.
After repeated crossings between African goats and native goats, after several generations of mestizos with varying participation rates, the researchers now boast 200 selected specimens of the new breed, which they named Bocarp. These are the specimens that are now being worked on to produce the new breed, a pure breed.
In order to be able to speak of a new breed, explained the director of the institute, you must have 300 mixed-breed females that you can divide with 15-20 goat families, so that the phenomenon of cosanguinity does not occur.
However, it could take 10-13 years before the actual approval of the Bocarp breed: researchers must continue to select specimens, produce new and new generations until the pure breed. So, at the moment the meat cannot be found in shops or restaurants, however, the Institute sells new generation goats to breeders who want to improve their breed.
Goat meat, indicated in diets
A few specimens have already been tested, and their meat was prepared by a chef who confirmed: the Bocarp goat tastes like tender cow: “It has the taste of beef, it's lean, that is, it has meat and fat, but the fat is not a fat like lard, like pork, but one with a certain consistency and which gives a very good taste”.
“I would see this new type of meat prepared in the spirit of Mediterranean cuisine, or the area of Morocco, maybe with a side dish of couscous, with a sauce on the side. I can't wait to try it“, said chef Sorin Petcu.
Nutritionist Mihaela Iftene says that goat meat dishes are much healthier.
“Goat meat is an extremely healthy alternative to the types of meat we find in stores, i.e. chicken, beef or pork. It is a better alternative for those who want to lose weight but also for those who suffer from anemia, being a meat rich in iron and vitamins such as B6, C, vitamin K, Calcium, Phosphorus, Zinc. We Romanians don't consume a lot of goat meat, but if the new variety will be more financially accessible and healthier, I think the consumption of goat meat could increase”, the nutritionist stated.
