Riyadh: Under the patronage of Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley, the National Livestock and Fisheries Development Program held a ceremony on Monday to mark the localization of genetic evaluation services in the cattle and dairy production sector and support the application of genomics and biotechnology. The event was attended by sector leaders and representatives of local dairy companies and relevant entities.
According to Saudi Press Agency, during the ceremony, the national program and BIORASCO received official accreditation as 'approved entities' from the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB), a leading international authority in dairy cattle genetic evaluation. They became the first two national entities to provide these services directly to the local market, reducing reliance on foreign companies.
The strategic achievement followed the successful completion of CDCB requirements and paves the way for a new phase in which the program can measure the genetic value of animals and establish a national genomic database to support breeding decisions. This will ultimately enable genetic evaluations to be conducted entirely within the Kingdom and strengthen the program's position as a regional and international technical reference.
The ceremony also saw the launch of the genomic genetic evaluation platform as Saudi Arabia's national genetic reference for livestock. The platform aims to provide genomic evaluations of animals based on genetic and production data, strengthen national sovereignty over genetic data and knowledge, reduce reliance on external references in assessing local livestock, and measure long-term genetic improvement.
The platform enables breeders to determine the genetic value of animals for key traits and make more accurate breeding decisions that affect farm performance and profitability. It converts genetic and production data into local indicators that help improve breeds and achieve a better balance between productivity, efficiency, and sustainability under local conditions. This contributes to biosecurity, food security, and the sustainability of the Kingdom's livestock sector.
The ceremony also included the signing of five memoranda of understanding to enhance cooperation in genetic evaluation and improvement, production and genetic data management, and the development of veterinary vaccines and biotechnology. The agreements aim to improve herd efficiency, strengthen food security, and support the sustainability of the livestock sector.