The Camel Applied Research & Development Network (CARDN) Phase II

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1 The Camel Applied Research & Development Network (CARDN) Phase II Background CARDN was started in 1991 but operations began only after signing the contract with the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) as the executing agency in IFAD has supported the project with US$ 1.5 m. ACSAD has secured cofinance from the Islamic Development Bank (US$ 1.0 m for equipment) and from the French government (US$ 50,000). The network operates through national coordinators in 12 member countries. Rationale Camels continue to be the preferred species for utilising the harsh condition of the dry lands. They are part of the culture of pastoralists and make up about 20% of the livestock (calculated as animal units). Keeping camels enables Bedouins to live in areas which otherwise would not be utilized by man. They benefit in particular an important IFAD target group, the poor pastoralists who provide through their milk daily needs of food, generate income through sales of excess animals, ensure security through capital accumulation, ensure social links and provide transport, of goods in some countries. Neanwhile, camel racing is gaining interest in the Gulf states in particular, and some interest in keeping camels for sport and ecotoursim is developed in several countries even outside the tropics. On the other hand, pastoralists are seeking new forms of using their animals, e.g. increasing sales of surplus animals and feeding animals before slaughter. Some camel herders during the great drought drive their camels towards periurban areas where they are settled close to markets, for milk marketing in particular. Research for camel development: Camels have attracted interest of scientists since the beginning of the 20 th century. Under CARDNI capacities for research have been strenghtened in many member countries. This urged the awareness of the need for research for camel development since facilities and scientists are available. CARDN II has to concentrate on planning and carrying out research projects for camel development and sustainable rangeland use by pastoral systems as well as market oriented camel production. This shall mainly include. animal health and reproduction; animal nutrition, feeding for more intensive production, feed quality control; and camel product (milk and meat) processing, conservation and marketing. Goals and Objectives CARDN will contribute to ensuring continuous and sustainable use of dry land ranges by camel keeping of nonsedentary pastoralists, avoiding further degradation of land and vegetation, thereby ensuring continuation of the pastoralist production system, reducing its risks, improving living conditions, and alleviating poverty. Moreover, CARDN will stimulate research and development activities for improving pastoralist systems in dry lands with particular emphasis on camel husbandry. While the fact that pastoral camel production system is well adapted to the dry land environment and herders have practical skills hardly to be changed by scientists

2 withour assistance. Pastoralist camel keepers repeatedly expressed that some physiological and pathological factors are not clearly understood. Options for improved husbandry techniques may counteract aquired adaptation. CARDN will also explore investment opportunities for camel development. CARDN duration will be 4 years of which 3 years will be specified for carrying out research projects followed by one year for data analysis and documentation. IV. Key Project Activities The main activities of CARDN will take the following subjects: Continue to assist NARs in member countries by networking activities, documentation, identifying camel research priorities, upgrade laboratories and research stations support research projects and develope activities to improve pastoralist systems. Expand and improve the bibliographic service, and make it available to member countries. In order to ensure professional quality, continuous updating and equal benefit to all member countries a website should be made by of ACSAD who will have to employ a webmaster to deal with it. As access to the web is not yet possible without difficulties in all countries. Periodically producing and distributing CD ROM could make the information accessible to all member countries. Provide training on specific topics; e.g. laboratory techniques socioeconomic survey procedures, data analysis, system analysis and modelling. Therefore workshops may provide opportunities for camel owners to exchange experience. Assist in identifying specialized institutions supporting the development of camel research programmes Generate problem solving and development supporting research results Assist research institutions with twinning arrangements and acquisition of research grants. Support, finance and monitor and identifying priority areas of research projects. Major Outputs Policy framework to support sustainable rangeland use and camel pastoral production system(s) developed Manpower for improving pastoralist systems. Research priorities in camel keeping and rangeland use. Technology transfer projects initiated or managed by pastoralist. Research facilities improved the needs of the pastoral communities. Priority research projects supported, financed and monitored Twinnings arranged and research grants acquired Development of market oriented camel production supported Computerised data bank of research results and development projects. Pastoral associations encouraged to support camel research and to adopt technological innovations and sound management practices Systems for information and knowledge sharing between pastoral community and organisations.

3 Beneficiaries and Potential Impact The research and development efforts of CARDN will benefit camel keeping communities for developing production and marketing of meat and milk. The main focus group of CARDN should be on the poor small herders. In several ongoing IFAD investment projects there are important camel keeping communities. These will particularly benefit from the outputs of the CARDN II (see Appendix III). Improving camel husbandry and range management and improving the economic and social conditions are prerequisite for continuing the pastoral system. If this cannot be achieved, the range will be gradually deserted and pastoralists will move to cities where they will join the marginalized and jobless. All CARDN activities will follow a strict participatory approach by which the wide experience of pastoralists in coping with the extreme environment and the importance of risk aversion are taken into account. Consumers may also benefit by improved supply of meat and dairy products. Furthermore, appropriate range management and animal husbandry will contribute to avoiding environmental damage caused by overgrazing. Organisational structure The second phase programme of CARDN will alsobe coordinated by ACSAD. In addition, components may be subcontracted to specialised research centres of excellence. A coordinator will operate at ACSAD HQ in Damascus with a minimum of clerical support. For communication within the network uptodate communication technology will be used as far as possible. Computer conferences will be the preferred means; meetings will be limited to discussion of special research projects. Each member country will have a national Technical/Planning Committee, which will be headed by the National Coordinator, who will supervise network activities in the country. A Regional Technical /Planning Committee will be formed by the national coordinators. The criteria for selection of country partners would focus on those where poor pastoralists. A Steering Committee (SC) will be set up and composed of: a Senior ACSAD staff (chair) one IFAD representative one or two representatives from each of the country groups representatives from donors and potential donors of the network the network coordinator IX.Procedures The network will be organised so that research themes and projects are originated in a participatory approach at the community level. In order to ensure that this is achieved using appropriate methods, consultancy services should be provided by the network. At the other end, a functional Steering Committee (SC) empowered for strong governance should be established.

4 Advice by experts from outside the network may occasionally be necessary at all levels. Researchers of the national laboratories will formulate research proposals. Technical/Planning Committees at the national and at the regional level will plan and oversee research. They should receive guidance, advice and support by the network coordinator The National Technical/Planning Committee composed of relevant national professionals and chaired by The National Coordinator will develop and implement the annual work plan and budget. The Regional Technical /Planning Committee will develop and implement programme activities in general. This Committee will be composed of the National Coordinators and will be chaired by the network coordinator. It will receive and discuss the national progress reports and work plans and annually draft a consolidated forward work plan and budget. The Network Steering Committee will oversee project activities, approve progress reports, assess activities, outputs and project proposals on a scientific basis, approve the annual work plan and budget and any modifications thereof. The SC will meet once a year for one day only. The country of venue will be decided by the committee and should vary from year to year. The Steering Committee will receive from the Regional Technical/Planning Committee the progress report of the previous year together with a consolidated draft of annual work plan and budget. The documents will be submitted to the steering committee through the network coordinator at least two weeks before their meeting. The SC will approve progress reports, assess activities, outputs and project proposals on a scientific basis and approve or modify the annual work plan and budget. Meetings of the SC should be organised once par year as technical working sessions and follow a strictly prepared timetable. The country of venue should be decided by the committee and should vary from year to year. Budget IFAD and ACSAD will provide core finance to ensure basic activities of the network. Most governments of member countries expressed their will to bear a major share of the expenses within their programmes of research and development. In addition, major sources will need to be found to finance research activities. Potential donors are: the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development (AFESD), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the French Government. Furthermore, cofundung may be expected from: The Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID), the Banque Arabe pour le Development Economique en Afrique (BADEA), the African Development Bank (ADB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the German and Italian Government. In addition the private sector (e.g. milk plants, feed mils) is welcome to support individual research projects which they may suggest for solving specific problems.

5 Feed Research and Development Network Feed resources are the most important factors limiting animal production in the arid and semiarid zones. The problem of seasonality and law precipitation areaggravated by deterioration of rangelands. General plans for developing this sector are either limited or absent. Research efforts are not directed to wards the development of these feed resources. In 1980, ACSAD started a project aiming at evaluating feed resources in the Arab Countries and a strategy was planned to overcome the feed shortages and improve feed balance in each country coordination of efforts among countries scientists and decision makers are needed for the improvement of feed production. ACSAD has established Feed Research and Development Network (FRDN) in the Arab Countries to attain the following objectives: Survey and evaluate nutrient resources in the Arab countries. Estimate the feed requirements of livestock according to the physiological and production stages. Improve animal production through the development of feed resources and updating the studies feed balance. Coordinate feed research among national research systems to improve and generate appropriate technologies in order to ensure sustainable use of feed resources. Exchange genetic material of the related plant species. Documentation, publishing and dissemination of scientific and technical information. Results determination, evaluation and updating the studies of feed resources in the Arab Countries. Diet selection and feed behavior of livestock on rangelands. Arab and Middle East Tables of Feed Composition. Standardization of feed evaluation and chemical analysis in the Arab Countries Budget 50 thousand dollars have been assigned per year to finance research activities since There is a need to attain more financial support from donor agencies.

6 Date Palm Research and Development Network Justification : The Date Palm is the most important traditional tree crop which is native to the arid and semiarid regions. This region covers the area extending from Mauritania across North Africa to the Gulf countries, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan. The economic importance of the Date Palm is evident not only in over 3 million tons of dates a stable food, produced annually, but also in the numerous benefits of the palm by products, besides the fact that the palms provide a unique major ecological factor which made life possible along vast desert extension of this region. From time immemorial, the Date Palm has been cultured traditionally and most of the date production come from such orchards. The turn of the 20th.century witnessed the beginning of research work on Date Palm in U. S. A. far from place of origin, around mid 20th. century national research programes started in some Date producing countries with the help of FAO experts who visited most of these countries and wrote many reports to their governments. The FAO efforts were later, crowned by the initiation of the Regional Project for Palm and Dates Research Center in the Near East and North Africa in Baghdad during the period ( ). The center was composed of 17 countries and was planed to develop into an International Center. Due to some financial difficulties the center was not extended for a second phase and an alternative Network Project was proposed to take over coordinating research and development activities in the paricipating countries. Obectives : 1. To stop further decline in Date Production and improve yield and quality of the produce. 2. To improve the national research capabilities. 3. To strengthen the national research insitutuions. 4. To extend research results and generated technologies to date Palm growers. 5. To improve packing, storage, transport and marketing of dates at various stages of maturity. Coordinating Institution : The Arab Centre for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD). Coordinator : Dr. Awad Mohmed Ahmad Osman Member Countries of the Network: National Research Institutions in the following countries :

7 Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Sudan, Syria, Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Lybia and Tunisia. Expected Output : 1. Technical support of the national programes in the participating countries through group and individual training of research workers and technicians and providing each country with the required laboratory and field equipment and supplies. 2. Preparation of extension pamphlets covering all aspects of date culture. 3. Preparation of socioeconomic studies for the participaing countries covering Date culture, problems and drawbacks and the recommendations required for date culture development. 4. Consultation reports by experts in various fields of date culture as required by each country. 5. Holding of symposia on Date research and documentation of research results. Major Activities : 1. Group and individual training. 2. Research activities on cultivar improvement, cultural practices, insect and disease control and post harvest physiology of dates. 3. Extesnsion activities which include orchard visits and pamphlet preparation.