The objective of the project is to explore the effect of the activated water on small ruminants. To establish whether there is improvement in the properties of dairy products from the milk of grazing goats and sheep. The launch of this project is aimed at a healthy, quality and safe production of dairy products, as well as at the study of activated water on the morphological and biochemical indicators in the blood of receiving animals with a view to their humane husbandry. Adopting the so called „Living Water“ approach builds on the idea of increasing on-farm productivity and efficiency in the use of resources, development of new products to expand market opportunities for agricultural production.
The National Sheep and Goat Breeding Association (NSGBA) together with the Trakia University of Stara Zagora and a team of scientists and experts in the field of animal husbandry and biophysics will implement and investigate the main idea of the project i.e. „Whether by drinking the activated water, small ruminants will improve the quality of the product from their yield.“ The working team of 5 scientists will investigate and make recommendations for the correct processes and activities set out in the project proposal. Three people are engaged in the administrative activities. The project will take place on 10 sheep and goat farms.
Thanks to the project activities, new standards for natural dairy products without additives will be created, only from the milk of sheep and goats reared under pasture-to shed conditions and watered with activated water.
For the first time in the country the effects of giving animals water activated in a magnetic field, known in research literature as „Living Water“, will be used and tested on small ruminants. The aim of the project is to produce dairy products from sheep and goat yoghurt – white brined cheese and yellow cheese, obtained only under conditions of pasture rearing of sheep and goats, their watering with alkaline „Living Water“; no added by-products and a prolonged maturation period of the dairy products. The tests on raw milk, yoghurt, white and yellow cheese will be conducted in the specialised laboratory for dairy technology at the Trakia University. In addition to the studies on the composition and properties of sheep’s and goat’s milk and their products, the fatty acid content will be established. Pasture rearing of animals maintains the herbage and biodiversity of forage plants, contributes to the absorption of atmospheric carbon. Systematic, plot-based grazing will maintain pastures in good economic and ecological condition. Permanently grazed areas, with a good proportion of cereals and legumes, will provide nutritious feed for the animals and, in addition to absorbing atmospheric carbon, will act as a carbon sink. That is the idea behind the new standards – to apply to dairy products made only from Bulgarian milk, obtained after the use of grass fodder by grazing during the grazing season and meadow hay during the barn period, watered with activated water, without additional impurities and ingredients.
The implementation of the project proposal and the evidence of the effect of activated water on animals will give farmers confidence and self-esteem in the products they offer on the market. Animals reared on activated water without additives are healthier and more resistant to disease, which will inevitably lead to lower farm costs invested in herd healthcare. The quality of the milk and dairy products produced from animals watered with “Living Water” will be of excellent nutritional value and the farmer will be able to offer quality raw material and products to the market. More and more, the end consumer is looking to purchase foods that are as free from harmful substances as possible. This fact is bound to give farmers access to a new niche market where they can sell high quality produce at a relevant price. The cost of setting up a water activation plant is extremely low which will not make the final product more expensive, but will lead to a lasting increase in profitability for farms that implement it. Marketing a competitively priced, high quality product is a prerequisite for reducing problems between the different links in the supply chain, which in turn will increase farmers’ self-esteem and confidence. The number of herds will increase, the niche market and the demand for quality food from dairy raw materials will be filled, which is a prerequisite for a quality life for the society. The marketing of quality food will free up resources for investment in farm equipment, leading to even more sustainable farm development.