Muscat – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MAFWR), in collaboration with Oman Flour Mills and Oman India Fertiliser Company (OMIFCO), will organise an event called Al Nawadr Festival of Omani goats and sheep. Scheduled for March 1 to 3 in Barka, the festival aims to bolster the livestock sector in the sultanate.

A key feature of the festival is a competition to identify the best goats and sheep within breeds, offering financial rewards to winners – RO500, RO300, and RO200 for the first, second and third places, respectively.

An MAFWR official highlighted the festival’s objectives: “The event is designed to develop, diversify and expand Omani goat and sheep breeds, contributing towards achieving self-sufficiency in meat production.”

The festival also seeks to encourage investment in the sultanate’s food security projects, and will include an array of activities, such as exhibitions showcasing unique local and international goat and sheep breeds, breed beauty contests, and stalls featuring leather and wool products. 

The event will also host exhibitions of the sponsors of the festival and companies engaged in the livestock sector. Attendees can look forward to guided activities, mobile veterinary services and live performances during the festival.

Participants in the breed beauty contest must meet specific criteria set by the ministry. They should be Omani nationals with experience in goat raising and provide a photograph of the animal they wish to enter. To be eligible, animals must be aged between one and five years and belong to one of the following breeds: mountain goats, Batinah goats, Dhofari goats, Jabal Akhdar goats, desert goats or local sheep.

In 2022, MAFWR launched a project to further genetic diversity of Omani goats. This initiative is focused on establishing small and medium enterprises for mountain goat breeding in North Sharqiyah and Dakhliyah, targeting specific wilayats to enhance local breeding capabilities.