1. Department objectives:

• Improving production efficiency and nutrition of cattle and sheep;
• Improving milk and meat quality and their enrichment with healthy nutrients;
• Improving production, fertility and welfare of productive ruminants under stress conditions;
• Development of knowledge and technology for sustainable production and environmental quality in ruminant production;
• Development of knowledge and technology against local and global crises of feed production, water shortage and climate stress in intensive ruminant production;
• Establishment of scientific and technologic basis and training next generation of scientists toward future research in ruminant science;

2. Contribution to agriculture and main achievements in recent years

• We developed methods, technologies and models to identify most efficient cows in commercial herds for breeding program;
• Our studies with utilization of lignocellulosic wastes and industrial byproducts enabled their successful incorporation in rations of productive ruminants;
• We developed new forage varieties with improved yield and quality for feeding productive ruminants;
• Our genetic research contributed to fast improvement of milk and milk components production in the Israeli dairy herd;
• Our fertility research contributed to improvement in dairy cow reproductive performance under climate and biotic stress;
• Our research with growing bulls contributed to improvement of their production efficiency and meat quality;
• Our research in sheep breeding and nutrition contributed to improvement of their production efficiency, welfare and health; 

3. International relationship:

• International research cooperation with scientist from Europe and USA on mutual BARD, BSF and European scientific projects;
• There is large demand on the globe for our scientific knowledge and developments. This is expressed in: Many visits of extension people and students from developed and less developed countries in ARO; Our participation and presentations of studies in international meetings and conferences; Sabbatical years abroad; Mutual visits of scientists; Membership of our scientists in Editorial Boards of leading international journals in the field;