Iran Takes Long Stride towards Food Security by Launching Chicken Line Project

In fact, a pure population of special animals (both livestock and poultry) that belong to a specific breed with well-defined genetic specifications and only mate with pure animals of the same race and are also capable of producing animals similar to themselves, are called animal line.

The Biotechnology Development Headquarters of Iran’s Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology has realized the importance of having animal lines and seeks to expand the production and commercialization of chicken lines and revive this important and strategic industry in the country.

Therefore, it has defined serious plans for the development of the domestic market of chicken line in Iran which are being implemented with the help of governmental organizations and knowledge-based companies.

One of the measures adopted in this area is development of the chicken line which is conducted by identification of capacities, comparing the performance of strains, breeding Arian crossbreed with diluted ration and wheat waste, signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to create a support line with Etka organization and setting up a livestock innovation factory and poultry.

Preparing instructions for rearing ancestor chickens, mother chickens and broiler chickens is also one of the measures considered in the area of training and promotion of concepts for the development of the broiler industry.

Ensuring the health and hygiene of livestock and poultry is also important to this end by producing different vaccines, including Mark's vaccine, triple vaccine of "Newcastle, influenza, Gamboro" and triple vaccine of "Newcastle, bronchitis and egg drop syndrome" as well as the coryza vaccine. Production of needed probiotics is also a priority in this sector.

The Ministry of Agricultural Jihad of Iran has rolled out a plan to replace the imported genetics with its own Arian crossbreed.

In a statement on May 01, the Ministry said that only eight countries have technical and scientific abilities to develop new poultry crossbreeds, and Iran was among them.

Currently, 85 percent of broilers in Iran belongs to a Ross crossbreed, and this dependence, the Ministry said, “can endanger the country’s food security”.

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