By Mulengera Reporters
The growing need to sustainably and equitably manage and utilize animal genetic resources has prompted the African Union to take some steps.
The AU interventions have had to include establishment of 5 regional gene banks for the breeding and management of the continent’s vast animal genetic resources (AnGR). The intervention is part of the global efforts aimed at ensuring the AnGR are managed and utilized in a manner that ensures uniformity at the national, continental and global levels.
That’s the only way the Global Action Plan aimed at preservation of AnGR can be operationalized. The AU’s Africa-wide effort is being coordinated by eminent civil society organization ASARECA now working very closely with NAGRIC & DB (National Animal Genetic Resources Center & Data Bank) to ensure the 13 countries to be served and capacitated under the East African sub regional gene bank are properly coordinated.
The AU’s idea is that the regional countries should be able to benchmark on the region gene bank to ensure protection of livestock biodiversity, improved human health, nutrition and expansion of livestock diversification and income generation opportunities.
As a hosting institution, NAGRIC (which is under MAAIF having been established under an Act of Parliament in 2001) will ensure it leverages on the regional gene bank to provide cryoconservation facilities for countries that lack national genebanks.
NAGRIC will also have to provide them with back up storage for national gene banks and uniform methodology for identification & evaluation of breeds to be preserved.
In the service of the 13 member countries, NAGRIC will also oversee the collection, freezing, shipping and storage of germplasm, the documentation and security of the samples.
The 5 regional gene banks will also be charged with mantainance of gene pool diversity of African AnGR, restoration of breeding lines, global trading in genes and rescuing of rare and endangered breeds for future breeding programs.
The Eastern African regional gene bank at the NAGRIC Entebbe facility will (for an eternity) serve the following countries; Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Djibouti and Somalia. Others are Eritrea, Comoros, South Sudan and Sudan. These clearly are countries which already colloborate under EAC and IGAD to foster areas of common interest.
The regional gene bank is being launched officially this Friday 19th July for the actual work to commence. The AU-IBAR, through it’s animal Genetics Projects, has invested in retraining and capacity-building of NAGRIC staff to ensure those deployed on the regional gene bank project are up to the task.
NAGRIC has also been supported, under the same AU project, with purchase and installation of the vital field and laboratory equipment.
The AU intervention has also ensured that high standards are enforced at NAGRIC’ AnGR gene banking facilities in Entebbe to befit the status of regional center of excellence as expected.
According to NAGRIC ED Dr. Charles Lagul, the Friday launching ceremony in Entebbe will be graced by representatives from ASARECA, GoU and the 13 member countries destined to benefit from the regional gene bank.
Stakeholders from CSOs doing advocacy around animal genetic resources breeding, management and banking too are expected at the launching ceremony that commences at 8;30am.
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