As part of the directives of Mr. Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, to restructure the Animal Breed Registration and Improvement Committee, Dr. Adel Abdel Azim, President of the Agricultural Research Center (ARC), chaired the committee’s second meeting to discuss key topics related to the development and enhancement of Egypt’s animal genetic resources.
The meeting was attended by:
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Dr. Sherine Assem, Deputy President of ARC
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Dr. Mona Mehrez, Former Deputy Minister of Agriculture
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Dr. Tarek Soliman, Head of the Animal and Poultry Wealth Development Sector
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Dr. Mohamed El-Shafie, Director of the Animal Production Research Institute and Committee Rapporteur
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Directors of the Animal Wealth Institutes, the Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute, the National Gene Bank, and the Regional Center for Food and Feed
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Several prominent experts, including:
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Prof. Dr. Maher Hasab El-Naby
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Prof. Dr. Adel Abu El-Naga
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Prof. Dr. Abdel Rashid Ghanem, Director of the National Milk Collection Centers Project
During the meeting, the committee reviewed and approved the executive memo of the ministerial decree forming the committee. It also agreed on the establishment of a technical secretariat and the formation of specialized subcommittees for major ruminants, small ruminants, poultry, and fish.
Dr. Adel Abdel Azim confirmed that the committee will prioritize, in the current phase, the registration of nationally significant breeds, including:
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Egyptian Buffalo
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Fayoumi Chicken
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Zaraibi Goat
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Nile Tilapia
The objective is to preserve their genetic purity and utilize them in genetic improvement programs to enhance food security.
He also noted that the next committee meeting will be held before the end of April to continue discussing technical files and follow up on the implementation of the committee’s recommendations.
