Identifying breeding goals to develop selection index for buffalo in Egypt using preference survey

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Quantitative Genetics
• Agricultural Economics

Background:

• Buffalo production is crucial in Egypt, yet specific breeding goals aligned with farmer preferences require detailed identification.
• Developing effective selection indices is essential for genetic improvement in buffalo populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify breeding goals and derive relative goal values (RGV) for Egyptian buffalo.
• To develop a selection index (SI) based on farmer-identified breeding goals and trait importance.
• To assess the variability explained by proposed selection indices.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive questionnaire survey of 1797 milk-producing buffalo holders across 10 Egyptian governorates.
• Subjective determination procedure for estimating relative goal values (RGV).
• Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) to identify farmer clusters and develop selection indices.

Main Results:

• Milk production traits, specifically milk yield and fat yield, were identified as the primary breeding goals by farmers.
• Cluster analysis identified three distinct farmer groups based on their breeding priorities.
• Six selection indices were proposed, with the best explaining up to 93% of the variability in farmer preferences.

Conclusions:

• Subjective methods are viable for determining relative goal values in buffalo breeding programs.
• The developed selection indices offer a promising tool for enhancing Egyptian buffalo breeding, prioritizing farmer-centric goals.
• Further research incorporating production systems, market data, and consumer demands is recommended for refining selection strategies.