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Thi. 2023 s edition of SIA was marked by venue of  the mid-term meeting of the IVEA project (Green Routes for Albanian Livestock), co-funded by the General Directorate of the Treasury, CNPA, IDELE, ROM Sélection and CORAM and implemented by IDELE/BCTI. The event gathered the institutional partners (Ministries of Finance and Agriculture), the project leaders led by IDELE/BCTI as well as the members of the business club supporting the project: ALIPLUS, FGE, AURIVA, OSON, CAPGENES, IMV, SYNETICS, VOLTALIA, SERAP, BOCCARD and ENERPRO. The objective of the meeting was to present the progress of the project to date. The exemplary nature of the project in terms of the richness of the partnership and the level of commitment of the partners (in-kind contributions from the companies) was praised by the General Directorate of the Treasury and the DGPE of the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Memorandum of Understanding signed on Friday February 17 in Colombo between IDELE/BCTI and the Sri Lankan Ministry of Agriculture confirms the mutual satisfaction of the parties regarding the implementation and results already observed of the ongoing project aimed at strengthening the dairy farming advisory system. This signature also augurs a new project to be entrusted to IDELE from the beginning of 2024 and which would support, among others, the implementation of new feeding strategies for dairy cattle

Interview of Philippe AME at the Sommet de l'Elevage by Burcu Cetinkay,a journalist of AGRO TV (Turkey) but also car rally champion, snowboarder... and breeder! On the theme of small and medium-sized farms in third countries: 

https://youtu.be/I0vvjqC-luw

On the occasion of the Sommet de l'Elevage, the BCTI received the Director General of the "Office de L'Elevage et des Pâturages" (OEP) as well as a delegation of directors from the Ministry of Agriculture of Tunisia. This visit, which had been anticipated for a long time, was an opportunity to sign the renewal of the framework agreement for cooperation between Idele and OEP. A first short-term challenge is already emerging: the design, with technical assistance from the BCTI, of a pilot for the implementation of a revisited animal identification and its associated information system. This phase follows the formulation study conducted by the BCTI, which has just been completed and which provides Tunisia with a complete and budgeted roadmap for the implementation of the national system.

The BCTI team, represented by Mr. Philippe AME and Mr. Vigan DERVISHI, carried out a support and evaluation mission in Albania, within the framework of the IVEA project (Green Routes for Albanian Livestock) from October 26 to 30. This is the 11th expert mission since the launch of the project last March.
The mission was the occasion to organize a visit of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, HE. Mrs. Frida KRICA, to the Technology Transfer Center of Korçë which is hosting many activities of the project. The Minister also had the opportunity to visit a mountain farm near Korçë and to talk at length with the farmers, one of whom is a referent for the IVEA project. The situation of the small and medium-sized farms and the solutions brought by the project were widely discussed both with the operators and with BCTI. Indeed, the Cooperation Office brings to the Ministry an important and appreciated support to the elaboration of strategies aiming at developing these small farms which represent the essential of the production potential but also the biggest potential of improvement... with a very important leverage effect at the national level. 
The mission also coincided with the delivery of the first equipment, including solar milk coolers. The cooling tank will be installed at the station of Korçë and the can cooler will be entrusted to a referent sheep breeder of the region of Gjirokastër. This last one will be able, as referent breeder of the IVEA project, to receive trainings of shepherds around the good zootechnical practices given by the service of the vulgarization. He is also expected to lead a first progress group on cheese processing under geographical indication.  All the equipment will be delivered by the end of the year and the inauguration is planned for early next year.

The BCTI teams, always in search of a reasoned exploitation of the animal feed in the sometimes difficult regions or with a largely non-conventional feed base, find information for the computation of rations in a free access tool : FEEDIPEDIA

The acute shortage of feedstuffs in Asian, Middle East and African countries has prompted Animal Nutritionists to explore new non-conventional feed resources that do not compete with human food. The most promising among these, available in plenty, are fruit and vegetable wastes (FVWs). Currently most FVWs are dumped in wastelands causing environmental pollution. Citrus fruit (Mausambi/sweet lime or kinnow) waste, available in bulk, is rich in nutrients and bio-active compounds. Studies revealed that kinnow waste, after sun drying or ensiling with poor quality crop residues, can be effectively utilized as animal feed, to enhance animal production, mitigate environmental pollution and decrease feeding cost.

The "International Handbook for Livestock farming advisors"  exists now in 5 languages,The printed version is available in French, Arabic, Uzbek an Cinghalese. The English version is yet to be published.

The aim of this handbook is to set out the minimum requirement for successful assistance to livestock farmers.

There are so many unforeseeable external events that can make action useless or ineffective that it is necessary to ensure that advisers have the best possible chance of achieving success.

The endeavour here is to provide personalised support that covers all the technical areas involved in animal production whether involving cattle, sheep, dairy or meat production: forage production, nutrition and rations, reproduction and selective breeding, rearing young livestock, milking and milk quality, housing and equipment.

The economic dimension is not forgotten here given that the main goal for farmers and  their families is in many cases to raise their income levels

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The rams of Blanche du Massif Central and Ile de France breeds , selected and offered respectively by ROM SELECTION and OSON, arrived at the station in Körçe on June 21: in excellent shape and ready to go!

Their use in purebred or crossbred with local breeds (coupled with a conservation program for these same breeds) will allow, in addition to improving the income of the breeders, to reduce the carbon footprint of the products and a more efficient use of feed.

The follow-up program of genetic improvement starts in September.