The "gray Ukrainian" breed of cattle has become a TikTok star

Sergey Sorokunskiy, the founder of the "Sapphire Agro" farm, received the "Creative Year" award from the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs for a TikTok marketing campaign that popularized Ukrainian farming and helped save the national breed—the "gray Ukrainian cow."

In the TikTok videos, the farmer demonstrated that farming can be interesting, fun, and modern. His clips about the gray Ukrainian cow garnered millions of views in three months, attracting thousands of young people to the topic. The cow was portrayed as a national treasure. As a result of the campaign, the farm achieved the following results: 5.4 million views, 236,000 likes, and 10,000 new subscribers. Requests for breeding the gray Ukrainian cow have significantly increased, and Ukrainian media covered the campaign, drawing even more attention to farming.

It is important to note that the "Ukrainian gray cow" is a unique breed that is at risk of extinction. Its main population is in occupied territories, so it is unclear how many cows are remaining. Among the advantages of this breed are its endurance; the animals can easily withstand both heat and cold and can live outdoors. The breed is resistant to diseases and requires almost no human care. For instance, a herd in Askaniya-Nova was allowed to roam freely for many years before the occupation, without human intervention even for milking. In fact, this breed serves as a living monument from the times of the Trypillia culture. Despite numerous studies on the phenotypic traits and genetic structures of the gray Ukrainian breed, its biological features and genetic history remain insufficiently studied for effective future application. This breed, descended from the wild aurochs, has unique genetic characteristics.