Representational image.
Doha: Under a research project to increase reproduction of animals for meat and milk, the Livestock Research Unit at the Agricultural Research Department run by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment created a high yielding breed of sheep, with genetic modification.
“Sheep with improved genetic traits gives more milk than their normal average, as per the result of a fresh research conducted by the Research Unit,” Massoud Jarallah Al Marri, Head of the Agricultural Research Department, posted on the website of the Ministry.
He said the Department is conducting a number of research projects to increase the reproduction of animals including increasing varieties of sheep and its milk production.
“It is well-known that most livestock in Qatar is being used only for meat and not for milk,” said Al Marri, adding that the Unit is working on improving genetic traits of sheep under a research.
“Under the research, artificial insemination was given to female-sheep which resulted in an increase in twin reproduction by 67.5 percent.”
He said the research work also helped in reducing the death of animals below six percent that became possible by adopting preventive programme, immunisation during pregnancy and prescribed foods to newly-born sheep.
The Department has started operation recently at a new livestock reproduction facility at Al Shahaniya. He said that the facility was handed over to the Department in the mid of last year.
The project is built in an area of 80,000sqm. “The research work will be conducted at the facility to improve the species of camel and sheep by using artificial insemination to produce good species and then it will be handed over to the animal breeding farms,” said Al Marri.
He said the centre will also conduct research on fodder components to prescribe diet for animals. “Laboratories and other necessary facilities are being set up at the animal reproduction centre.
Technical and administrative staffs are being hired to open the centre within next two months,” said Al Marri.
The centre will have three main laboratories for feeding and breeding animals and a gene bank for animals.
“The centre was supplied three herds of animals (sheep of two species -Al Awasi and Al Shami) and camel for using in research and study that will be conducted at the centre in future,” said Al Marri.
According to an official figure, the commercial farms in Qatar are having about 1.4 million animals including goat, sheep, cow and camels.
