Tehran – Iran's Animal Science Research Institute has launched a national program to monitor and document the country's native poultry genetic resources, beginning with indigenous duck populations in the northern provinces, the institute's director announced.

 

Hassan Khamisabadi underscored the significance of the northern region's native ducks, noting that indigenous livestock and poultry breeds are the product of millennia of natural selection and adaptation to local climatic and environmental conditions.

 

"They possess unique genetic traits, resilience, and productive capacities that make them a valuable national treasure and an essential part of our cultural and agricultural heritage," he said.

 

Under the initiative, native duck flocks across the north will be identified and monitored through collaboration with provincial agricultural research and education centers, livestock production improvement departments, and local breeders.

 

Khamisabadi added that DNA will be extracted from 100 blood samples and preserved in the institute's gene bank, enabling future genetic research and informed breeding strategies for conservation and enhancement of these populations.

 

The project will also assess population size, geographic distribution, demographic trends, mating patterns, sex ratios, and the specific challenges encountered by breeders, he explained.

 

The official emphasized the critical need to safeguard native genetic resources, citing climate change, habitat degradation, urbanization, the displacement of indigenous breeds by high-yield commercial varieties, and uncontrolled crossbreeding as major threats.

 

 "Preserving these resources is vital not only for biodiversity but also for the nation's long-term food security and agricultural sustainability," he concluded.