The Livestock and Agricultural Research departments at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment have carried out two research projects on the efforts made by the Agricultural Affairs and Fisheries departments to develop and enhance livestock.
The first research aimed to find unconventional feed alternatives for livestock and benefit from date palm waste in order to preserve the environment and achieve the maximum possible benefit from natural resources. 
Another objective was to know the impact of using palm leaves and date waste instead of conventional food on the productive and reproductive performance of Awassi sheep, as well as the productive and reproductive characteristics of Awassi sheep in a closed system in the Qatari environment. The Awassi is a local sheep breed in South-West Asia originated in the Syro-Arabian desert. 
The second research focused on serological survey of some viral diseases among Qatari horses such as West Nile fever, arteritis and different types of herpes.
The aim was to find out the possibility of Qatari horses being infected with one of the viruses in question due to crossing borders and participating in tournaments and events worldwide, in addition to identifying the potential risk factors associated with being exposed to these viruses. (QNA)
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