The College of Agriculture at the University of Basra organized a scientific workshop on "The Commercial Hybridization of Chickens and its Impact on the Genetic Diversity of Local Chickens," held at the Agricultural Extension and Training Center in Basra Governorate.

The workshop, presented by Dr. Sajida Abdul Samad Al-Shaheen and Dr. Adnan Jabbar Al-Kanaan, aimed to clarify the economic feasibility of local chicken projects and the marketing opportunities for their natural products, while also assessing the risks of genetic improvement in commercial breeds on local biodiversity.

The workshop included two main themes: the first focused on local chicken farming as a sustainable economic model, its economic and marketing success factors, and its potential to achieve self-sufficiency for families through backyard poultry farming; the second theme addressed the negative aspects of the commercial hybridization revolution, namely genetic erosion and the threat of extinction facing native breeds.

The workshop recommended developing a roadmap to support these projects and establishing gene banks for local breeds as assets for food security.

Media and Government Communication Division / College of Agriculture