Guidance
Lists of recognised non-UK breed societies and breeding operations
Recognised non-UK breed societies for bovine, ovine, porcine, equine and caprine species.
Details
Defra lists recognised non-UK breed societies for bovine, ovine, porcine and equine and caprine species.
Zootechnical rules and standards support trade in:
purebred breeding cattle
sheep and goats
pigs and hybrid pigs
equines
genetic material of all these animals
A full list of breeding programmes in non-European third-country listed countries is available on the European Commission food website (PDF).
Read about the work of the Farm Animal Genetic Resources Committee .
Contact: ukglesecretariat@defra.gov.uk .
Updates to this page
Published 25 June 2021
Last updated
2421 JuneJuly 2025
+ show all updates
21 July 2025
In the 'Recognised non-UK breeding societies for porcine species' document, updated the email address within HK Scan Sweden's contact details.
7 July 2025
Removed the link to European Commission zootechnical pages.
24 June 2025
Added a link to the list of breeding programmes in non-European third-country listed countries.
7 May 2025
Removed Avelsföreningen för Svensk Låglandsboskap from breeding bodies for Sweden, added Swedish breeding names alongside English names to Växa Sverige, all in Recognised non-UK breeding societies for bovine species.
Removed Svenska Fåravelsförbundet from list of breeding societies in Recognised non-UK breeding societies for caprine species.
Added new ovine breed – Jämtlandsfår (Jamtland Sheep) – to list Svenska Fåravelsförbundet is responsible for in Recognised non-UK breeding societies for ovine species.
13 September 2024
Changed ‘EU’ references to ‘non-UK’. Updated the list of recognised non-UK breeding societies for ovine species.
2 September 2024
Updated the list of recognised EU breeding societies for porcine species
16 July 2024
New ovine breeding society recognised in Ireland: Irish Rouge de L’Ouest Sheep Society
16 April 2024
Updated the list of recognised EU breeding societies for ovine species.
26 February 2024
Updated the lists of recognised EU breeding societies for ovine species, porcine species, bovine species, caprine species and hybrid breeding pigs.
4 September 2023
Updated the list of recognised EU breeding societies for ovine species
13 April 2023
Added details to the Equine list for The Haflinger Breeders Association of Tyrol, Austria.
22 November 2022
Updated record for Nederlandse Shire.
5 October 2022
Updated the list of recognised EU breeding societies for equine species.
27 April 2022
Updated the list of breeding societies of bovine species for Ireland. Updated the list of breeding societies of equine species for Belgium, Germany and Ireland. Added the list of breeding societies of hybrid pig species for Greece.
29 March 2022
Updated the list of recognised EU breeding societies for equine species for Netherlands.
29 March 2022
Updated the list of recognised EU breeding societies for equine species for Netherlands.
8 October 2021
Updated the list of recognised EU breeding societies for equine species for Germany and Lithuania and for caprine species for Germany.
6 August 2021
Updated lists of recognised EU breeding societies for ovine, porcine, bovine and hybrid breeding pigs for Poland and ovine list for Croatia.
4 August 2021
Updated recognised EU breeding societies for equine species list.
23 July 2021
Updated lists of recognised EU breeding societies for ovine, equine porcine, bovine, caprine and hybrid breeding pigs.
25 June 2021
First published.