Participation of Saudi Arabia at the National Livestock Exhibition in Brno

Unique event is the largest show of animal production in the Czech Republic. 200 Czech and foreign exhibitors presented breeding technologies, veterinary and reproductive technology, feed and agricultural machinery. The exhibition is very popular for both the professionals and non-expert public.

This year's exhibition was attended by a large group of foreign visitors, including guests from Angola, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Kurdistan.

The official delegations, invited by the Minister of Agriculture Marián Jurečka, were accompanied by entrepreneurs. Their participation was the result of nearly two-year pro-export activities of the Ministry of Agriculture.

For the first time this year's largest breeding event in the Czech Republic was attended by top representatives of breeding organization Mutahida from Saudi Arabia. Invited and accompanied on the venue by agricultural diplomat in Riyadh, Eduard Řeháček, the guests arrived were Adel Abdulaziz Alabdulsalam (AA), Chairman of the Board and Abdul Aziz Mansour Al-Sughaiyer (AM), Vice President Fresh Dairy Producers National Committee. Mutahida represents the largest 16 fresh milk producers in the Kingdom.

AM is also an owner of a farm with 5,000 Holstein cattle heads and AA is the manager of Nadec's strategic development division (with 70,000 cows of the Holstein breed). In total, over 300,000 cows predominantly of the Holstein breed are kept in Saudi Arabia.

During a two-day visit, guests were able to see the National Holstein Bovine Championship and, in accordance with the previously agreed program, they had B2B meetings with a number of Czech exporters and representatives of the Holstein Cattle Breeders' Association in the Czech Republic.

The greatest interest of Mutahida's representatives was focused on the potential deliveries of insemination doses of proven bulls, veterinary products and feed. The interest is both forage (alfalfa hay, straw) and concentrated (mineral and vitamin supplements, milk replacers etc.) Imports of bulk fodder are supported by local government due to lack of water for crop irrigation, so plant production is dampened while livestock production is to be retained.

Eduard Rehacek, agricultural counsellor

Picture of the Czech breed cows: