CAMELS AS A MIRACLE KEY FOR ANIMAL PRODUCTION SUSTAINABILITY IN EGYPT

Abstract

Egypt is an agricultural country, and livestock production is an integral part that accounting 37. 5% to the total value of agricultural production. Since 1989, the FAO suggested that the minimum requirements of animal protein per capital is 29.3 g protein/ cap/ day. Unfortunately, in Egypt the daily per capita share of animal protein is 19.2 g. The Ministry of Agricultural and Land Reclamation, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environment have joined forces with the FAO Africa Sustainable Livestock 2050 (ASL2050), to set scenarios for the future of livestock sector. Because, by 2050, it is expected that the demand of animal protein will rise to reach to 109%. This requires farmers to expand and enhance their production capabilities. Additionally in the few decades, the scientists pointed to a very important problem, which is climate change. That represents the environmental, economic and social challenges due to its negative impacts on both agriculture and livestock sectors. Therefore, to face all these challenges, attention paid to a very important animal that consider the key for protecting the socioeconomic status and maintain animal production sustainability, which is camel. Camels contribute hugely to human survival in less agro-ecological parts of African, Asian and Arabian deserts, and they are very important in the arid world as sustainable livestock species. Camels possess inimitable features which enable them to survive in extreme desert conditions. This was confirmed through fewer genetic studies, which cleared that, camels have several genes that enable them to adapt to desert conditions. They can withstand with long hunger and thirst, and they can get their energy requirements from the fat stored in their hump. Moreover, camel milk have medical features, but fewer studies were concerning about the therapeutic uses of camel products. Actually, camels must have a huge interest in the field of genetics, because genetic diversity help us in creating the suitable breeding programs for camels.