São Paulo – Zebu cattle raised in Brazil may be crossbred with animals of the Egyptian Baladi race. Since yesterday (17th), a group of Brazilian sector representatives is in the Arab country to discuss the possibility with the University of Alexandria, in Egypt.
The team is comprised of the International Relations manager of the Brazilian Zebu Cattle Association (ABCZ), Gerson Simão, the organization’s Foreign Relations assistant, Guilherme Soares, and the director of company Agroexport, Alexandre Cunha. They will remains in Egypt until tomorrow (19th).
In 2007, a sanitary protocol was signed by the two governments allowing Brazil to export semen, embryos and livestock to Egypt. In that same year, companies affiliated with the Brazilian Cattle Genetics export consortium donated a technological pack – including semen and embryos – to Egypt.
“First off, ABCZ is doing promotion work for the affiliated companies and of Zebu races, because the Egyptian market is an interesting market not only to genetics companies, but also to companies that operate with veterinary products, pasture seeds and livestock for breeding and slaughter,” says the Foreign Relations supervisor of ABCZ, Jorge Dias.
The association made its initial contacts with Agrarian Science Professors at the University of Alexandria when said Professors visited ExpoZebu, one of the largest agricultural trade fairs, in 2006. Now, ABCZ is expecting to attract the interest of Egyptian breeders to the crossbreeding between Brazilian Zebu cattle and animals of the Baladi race, which is suited for meat and milk production. Brazilian slaughterhouse Minerva has already sold live cattle to the Arab country.
Dias also explains that no specific demands have been made concerning the Brazilian animals. “The genetic improvement process of the local race is only beginning. The project is under the supervision of the University of Alexandria. Therefore, as specific needs are identified, the requests will be made directly to the insemination centres in Brazil,” he claims.
In Egypt, aside from animals resulting from the Brazilian donations, the commission should also visit potential importers, as well as a storage shed or slaughterhouse.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
