[Thanks to Dr. Ramsey for this very useful contribution, sharing his views and practical experiences from the livestock sector in South Africa.........Moderator]
My name is Keith Ramsay from the National Department of Agriculture, South Africa. I am currently Registrar of Animal Improvement and Identification - and I have been involved in the development sector since 1973.
This has been a most stimulating session - and, while I intended contributing shortly after David Steane's inputs [20 June and 30 June], I have not had the time to sit down and put all my thoughts to paper.
Biotechnology - and I refer specifically to asisted reproduction technology - needs to be used responsibly, particularly in the developing sector where more important issues such as general animal husbandry are often overlooked by the 'development set'.
Very often, artificial insemination (AI) is seen as a magic wand that can be woven to improve breeds that are perceived to be inferior by those who are not au fait with the production environments in the areas in question. The fact that stressed and underfed animals do not respond well to syncronisation and AI is simply overlooked. Adapted indigenous animals have been crossed with breeds that are often totally unsuited to the environments in question - and we are left with a legacy of animals that require additional inputs to perform - and an eroded indigenous gene pool.
The tragedy of breed improvement.
Used responsibly, however, AI and multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) technology can be very useful - and many have commented on this during the course of the discussion. It is, however. important to make sure that other basic inputs are in place - good animal husbandry, nutrition and some form of animal identification and recording. All these inputs can be centralised at a strategically placed integrated service center where animal owners can be trained - and where animals can be brought for service/AI.
This service should firstly concentrate on improving management skills using the local breeds. A 50% improvement in general management and nutrition will often result in a more permanent and stable situation as far as animal agriculture is concerned. At the same time, such actions should be linked to exploiting value-added traits of the breeds concerned - and to improving the marketing of breeds and products. We have often found that there is no equal to a local breed when management and nutrition have been improved - and where it has been possible to do within breed selection to identify better performers and producers of products such as fibre.
Where there is a need for a specific product - such as milk - and where management and husbandry skills will enable owners to benefit from other genetics, local breeds can be used to develop composites for specific purposes - but the locally adapted breeds should preferably be used as the dam-line to ensure that traits such as disease and parasite tolerance are transferred from an animal that is in harmony with its environment. The choice of sire line should also take the environment into consideration. Animals adapted to hot climates have a different build to those adapted to high altutude and temperate climates. Crossing a hot climate breed with a temperate climate breed may result in a composite without the capacity to dissipate heat effectively - thereby adding adaptation stress to the load the animal will have to deal with for the rest of its life.
When we bred a dairy composite for the hotter developing areas in South Africa, we took this into consideration and crossed the local Nguni cows with the Jersey that has the same basic respiratory type of frame and physiology. In a more temperate area, we could have used the more 'blocky' Holstein. The result of this cross retained the basic build of the Nguni - but had the added advantage of better milk production. Also of critical importance was the fact that both breeds had the right temperament for the small farmer situation.
Similar work was done to develop an adapted milking goat composite - using the hardy local goat as the basis. The local goats had a natural tolerance of Heartwater (Cowdria ruminatum) and a higher tolerance of internal parasites. Only Cowdria resistant and worm tolerant animals were retained in the program.
Developing such composites also adds value to the pure indigenous breeds in the program as a pure gene pool needs to be maintained. A balanced and responsible approach to this form of development will therefore ensure that local breeds are maintained and that composites are only used where management inputs will enable such animals to perform more effectively. Where these inputs do not exist, it is better to stay with pure indigenous breeds.
The erosion of Landrace breeds has created another vitally important niche for biotechnology - basic preservartion of rare and endangered breeds. It was therefore most encouraging to see references to this during the discussions. Again, this should be used in a responsible way. Wherever possible, conservation should start with on-farm initiatives where owners are encouraged to farm with the breeds because of their value-added traits. Where these breeds no longer exist - or exist in small numbers, AI and MOET can be used effectively to preserve and to distribute evaluated and improved genetics.
It is here that other technology such as DNA fingerprinting can also be extremely useful as this can be used for identification and verification purposes (Verification of purity) DNA technology can also be used where projects make use of multi-sire mating systems - to identify individual sires - a very useful tool in within herd/flock evaluation and improvement.
One must always bear in mind that biotechnology is not a miracle solution. It is of no use whatsoever where basic animal husbandry skills need to be improved. Where it is possible to use conventional breeding technology, one must think carefully before introducing AI and MOET.
In Southern Africa, we have also had an abundance of consultants who have only had a fleeting contact with the real situation. Such consultants often advocate the use of exotic genes and advanced technology to solve all the animal agriculture problems of the areas concerned. I still find it ironical that those who have experienced the local conditions and who are au fait with the potential of both the people and their animals tend to recommend the use of indigenous breeds as the best alternative.
This has beeen a most useful two months - and the organisers should be commended for the way in which it has been run
Kind regards
Keith Ramsay
KeithR@nda.agric.za
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