National Livestock Specialists

Organizational Setting

The project “UTF/SAU/051/SAU Strengthening MoEWA’s Capacity to Implement the Sustainable Rural Agricultural Development Programme” is the first project that has been approved within the framework of FAO-Saudi Technical Cooperation Programme (2019-2025). The project provides technical and advisory assistance to the MoEWA in implementing its flagship sustainable rural agricultural development programme approved within the context of the National Transformation Programme of the Saudi Vision 2030. The project expected results will be achieved through implementation of nine project components: 1) Development of coffee Arabica production, processing and marketing; 2) Development of beekeeping and honey production; 3) Development of rose production and trade; 4) Development of sub-tropical fruits production, processing and marketing; 5) Strengthening capacity of small-scale fishermen and fish farmers; 6) Strengthening capacity of small-scale livestock herders; 7) Development of rain-fed cereals production; 8) Enhancing value addition from smallholdings and rural activities; and 9) Strengthening MoEWA’s capacity in sustainable management of rangelands, forests and natural resources to support rural livelihoods.
An overall plan and budget is developed and approved, including activities and outputs that are expected to be accomplished under each component. Requirements for international technical expertise of each component have been identified. In order to ensure a coordinated, smooth, timely and successful implementation of the project, long-term competent international technical advisors will be appointed as Component Managers to each of the nine components. Each Component Manager will be supported by a team of international consultants and experts who are technical specialists in the subject matters of the various outputs and activities.

FAO-Saudi Arabia is seeking for Animal Breeding Expert, Animal Nutrition and Feeding Expert, Senior Animal Reproduction Expert and Livestock Farm Veterinarian.

Reporting Lines

The livestock Specialists will report to the Livestock Technical Advisor and National Professional Officer under the overall guidance to the FAO Programme Director in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Technical Focus

Capacity development and knowledge management for Strengthening capacity of small-scale livestock sector in KSA.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Livestock Specialists will contribute to the accomplishment of outputs of the project component on Strengthening capacity of small-scale livestock and will carry out the following tasks:

For Animal Breeding Expert:

• Lead the overall sheep and goat breed improvement program as envisaged by FAO and MoEWA, and equally focussing on specific activities that are targeted to improve the availability of high genetic merit breeding stock for the smallholder farmers of the KSA
• Participate in consultancy studies along with an international expert in areas related to animal breeding and animal reproduction, with an objective to strategize and evolve practical actions to undertake selection of elite breeding stock
• Jointly explore research and development activities through institutional partnership to apply latest technologies like genomics application in animal breeding, artificial insemination, and embryo transfer technologies, etc.,
• Jointly define breeding goals for sheep and goats under the KSA context and develop an implementation strategy for the sheep and goat genetic improvement program
• Design a community-based breeding system and development of breeding nucleus both at government and breeder level
• Participate in the design of an appropriate research program to characterize the native sheep and goat populations that assists in conservation decisions and breeding strategies
• Coordinate with the agency selected for performance recording and undertake performance recording activities in sheep and goats involving selected farmers, using community approaches.
• Undertake capacity building program for MEWA staff and farmers on breeding stock selection and breeding stock exchange
• Monitor the breed improvement program and the results of the implementation in the field
• Devise ways to monitor the inbreeding levels in the population in consultation with the FAO and other breeding experts
• Devise system to maintain farm level breeding records and suggest for ways to apply digital tools in record maintenance
• Provide breeding advisory service to the farmers as and when required
• Participate in FAO-MoEWA programs targeted at improving overall animal husbandry systems and practices among the smallholder farmers of the KSA

For Animal Nutrition and Feeding Expert:

• Spearhead the overall feed and fodder development program as envisaged by FAO and MoEWA, and equally focussing on specific activities that are targeted to improve the feed and fodder availability for the smallholder farmers of the KSA
• Participate in animal nutrition, feed, and fodder assessment consultancy studies along with an international expert with an objective to strategize and evolve practical actions to promote feed and fodder production in the country
• Assist in organizing study tour for the MoEWA staff and farmers in respect to promotion of dry land fodder production with species like spineless cactus, and other well adapted (to KSA conditions) dry land forage species
• Plan to get required technologies, agronomic practices, seed materials, and other logistic and plant quarantine arrangements required to introduce cultivation of new forage species among the smallholder farmers
• Monitor the performance of the new forage species cultivation and the results, and prepare awareness and extension materials to promote cultivation of new forage species that has proven to perform well under the KSA dry land farming conditions
• Plan and implement forage conservation program (silage making, hay making, etc.,) on a pilot scale for the smallholder farmers
• Make an inventory of non-conventional feed resources available in the country (e.g., date palm wastes), and other agro-industrial by-products (e.g., fruit industry wastes), that has the potential to be used as livestock feed
• Along with FAO experts, explore for technologies available in the livestock feed industry to convert the non-conventional feed resources into feed and look for ways to transfer those technologies to be implemented by a public or private feed manufacturer in the country.
• Undertake research and development activities on feed and fodder production in collaboration with local research institutes and animal science universities.
• Organize feeding trial research with local universities for the new fodder varieties and non-conventional feeds and publish the results for large scale audience, and disseminate the benefits of such feeding technologies to large scale audience
• Participate in promotion of precision farming techniques and feed ration balancing methods to optimize farm feeding systems and economic efficiency
• Provide farm feeding and animal nutrition advisory as and when required
• Participate in FAO-MoEWA programs targeted at improving overall animal husbandry systems and practices among the smallholder farmers of the KSA

For Senior Animal Reproduction Expert:

• ‎Lead the overall sheep and goat herd reproduction and breeding program as envisaged by FAO and MoEWA, and equally focussing on specific activities that are targeted to improve the reproductive efficiency of the sheep and goat flocks
• Participate in consultancy studies along with an international expert in areas related to animal breeding and animal reproduction, with an objective to strategize and evolve practical actions to undertake selection of elite breeding stock and multiplication of those elite stock through
• Jointly explore research and development activities through institutional partnership to apply latest assisted reproductive technologies such as embryo transfer, artificial insemination, and heat synchronization technologies
• Prepare a complete design to strengthen the existing frozen semen production centre of MEWA and to improve the efficiency of regional genetic centres of MEWA
• Design an implementation plan for artificial insemination delivery system in sheep and goats
• Participate in the design of a community-based breeding system and development of breeding nucleus both at government and breeder level
• Design and implement heat synchronization program from sheep and goats in consultation with FAO experts
• Undertake capacity building program for MEWA staff on use of reproductive tools such as ultrasonography to manage reproduction, and heat synchronization for timed AI follow up
• Monitor the flock reproduction and breed improvement program and the results of the implementation in the field
• Devise system to maintain farm level breeding and reproduction records and suggest for ways to apply digital tools in record maintenance
• Provide breeding and flock reproduction advisory service to the farmers as and when required
• Participate in FAO-MoEWA programs targeted at improving overall animal husbandry systems and practices among the smallholder farmers of the KSA

For Livestock Farm Veterinarian:

• Undertake individual farm visits, analyse the productivity and animal health gaps in technical and management aspects of the farm related to animal breeding, reproduction, health, animal nutrition, animal feeding systems, animal housing systems, and other general management aspects, using a structured questionnaire
• Identify the needs of the farmers in respect to the gaps identified through consultations, and jointly with the farmer a detailed farm and productivity improvement and animal health plan that would result in overall farm productivity improvements. While developing farm plans fix targets / sub-targets / bench marks for individual farms (e.g., expected percentage improvements in fertility of the breeding animals, percentage increase in milk and live animal production, percentage increase in number of animals marketed, percentage reduction in mortality rates, proper ram to ewe ratio, reduction in feeding costs, percentage increase in lambing rate, percentage increase in weight gain of fattening lambs, etc.,), and monitor periodically the performance of the farms against the targets
• Motivate the farmers to invest in adopting best husbandry practices
• Encourage the farmers to implement animal identification using appropriate animal ID system
• Assist the farmers to maintain farm records and when the farm management digital platform is made available, encourage them to adopt such mobile farm management applications to manage farm records
• Mobilize required resources such as vaccines, medicines, etc., from MoEWA’ local veterinary units in time to enable better adoption
• Ensure the use of small equipment provided by FAO-SRAD project in day-to-day farm management practice
• Assist the farmers to select high quality breeding rams applying systematic selection protocols, and with a focus on controlling inbreeding in the herd
• Assist the farmers and MEWA animal disease diagnostic units in undertaking diagnostic services for the farmers
• Encourage ethe farmer to adopt hygienic milking practices and to control mastitis
• Advice hoof health management on a regular basis
• Implement balanced and economic feeding systems in the farm
• Suggest for low-cost animal housing that can ensure health and animal welfare
• Ensure the farm follows appropriate farm bio security and disease control measures as per the standards of the industry
• Suggest for best manure management practices and converting them into natural fertilizers
• Provide continuous knowledge support to the farmers as and when needed (online using social media, and undertaking on-farm training for new group of farmers or on new technologies
• Actively participate in other value chain activities of the project as and when required
• Liaise with MoEWA head office and regional branch offices as and when required
• Continuously monitor the progress of the adoption of best husbandry practices and its results through periodical visits and assessment of the results

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Animal Breeding expert: Advanced University degree in Animal breeding and genetics / livestock production (PhD preferred) with major subject in animal breeding and genetics, and knowledge of common animal husbandry practices, animal breeding and breeding stock production
• Animal Nutrition and Feeding Expert: Advanced degree in Animal Nutrition / livestock production (PhD preferred) with major subject in animal nutrition, and knowledge of common animal husbandry practices, animal feeding and forage production
• Senior Animal Reproduction Expert: Advanced University degree in animal reproduction / animal breeding / livestock production (PhD preferred) with major subject in animal reproduction and or animal breeding, and knowledge of common animal husbandry practices, and application of advanced animal reproductive technologies and tools
• Livestock Farm Veterinarian: Minimum of bachelor’s degree in veterinary science / medicine, and knowledge of common animal husbandry practices.
• Ten years of relevant work experience in the subject domains mentioned above, and experience in research and development activities are preferred
• Working knowledge of English and Arabic.
• National of Saudi Arabia.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Knowledge of latest breeding technologies like genomics based genetic improvement program in livestock
• Knowledge about the artificial insemination program in sheep and goats and selection of male stock for frozen semen production
• Knowledge in applying latest reproductive technologies and tools in animal reproduction management
• Knowledge about animal feeding and animal nutrition related activities and experience in forage crop production technologies and balanced feeding systems
• Knowledge on the use of latest diagnostic equipment and able to demonstrate its utility for the farm productivity enhancement and animal health activities
• Basic training in statistical methods used in animal breeding and knowledge on the use of bioinformatics tool and statistical package is preferred
• Experience in providing training to the farmers and other stakeholders
• Well versed with the use of MS-Office programs (word, excel, power point, etc.,) and social media platforms.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION