The Animal Farm 'Granja'

Launched in May 1996

Location

Alma, Zgharta, 15 minutes drive from the Agricultural Centre of the North.

Partners

Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional (AECI)

La Fundación Promoción Social de la Cultura (FPSC)

Objectives

Breeding of goats and cattle within farms to prevent free grazing of herds in the mountains and forests, and thus protecting green spaces.

Artificial insemination that follows a strictly defined program of breeding.

Enforcement of a strict system of regular vaccination as well as the strict application of methods for hygienic supervision according to specific norms of prevention.

Increasing public awareness on the threat of intensive agricultural exploitation to the ecosystem.

Creating an agricultural network linking universities, institutes, students and researchers to traditional cattle farmers.

Providing stockbreeders with new European breeds introduced to Lebanon that have a significantly higher milk yield.

Improving farmers' wives' capacities by training them in milk processing and therefore increasing their potential income.

Beneficiaries

Researchers, university professors and students who use the farm for agricultural studies and research.

Students and farmers of the region who benefit from the educational, counseling and mechanization services.

Farmers' wives.

Description

The animal farm promotes the breeding of goats and cattle in a manner that preserves the environment, improves the quality and the yield of milk, and ensures sustainable rural development.

Continuous and strict hygienic control is enforced to prevent all diseases. Additionally, the farm collaborates with university professors to identify the best-suited breeds for Lebanon and their appropriate nutrition.

New breeds of goats (Alpine and Saanen) and cattle (Holstein) were imported. These breeds were found to adjust well to Lebanon's climate and have a higher milk yield (between 2 and 2.5 times more than local breeds).

Alpine____Saanen

[Click below for photogalleries at the farm:

Goats Photo Gallery - Cows Photo Gallery]

Holstein

The animal farm also provides theoretical and practical seminars and training sessions for farmers and stockbreeders. These sessions cover a wide range of topics, focusing on techniques and benefits of modern breeding and nutrition.

[Click here for more information about the goats and cows at the farm]

Institutional collaboration

The RMF works with agronomists and zoologists, and cooperates with the agronomical departments of the following Lebanese universities:

University of the Holy Spirit – Kaslik (USEK)
Lebanese University (UL)
Saint-Joseph University (USJ)
American University of Beirut (AUB)

To improve techniques, the RMF collaborates with the following centers of agricultural and animal research:

Association for help on rural development
Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD)
Centre International Caprin (CIC) – France
Institut de Recherche Agronomique Libanais (IRAL)
Institut National de Recherches Agronomiques, France (INRA)
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Békaa
Ministry for Agriculture, natural resources and the environment, Department of Agriculture, Cyprus