Best Breeds Winners Named As 25 Celebrate At UAE Livestock Festival

The Livestock Festival organising committee has recognised 25 breeders in the "Best Breeds" competitions, after judging top Najdi sheep categories and related performance criteria. Supported by the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), the festival seeks to strengthen the livestock sector, increase the value of local herds and reinforce the role of domestic production within the UAE’s food security strategy.

Financial rewards worth AED2.624 million were allocated across festival contests, with organisers noting that the prize pool was designed to reward excellence and motivate breeders. The committee stated that rules and assessment systems were applied to ensure fair competition. Additional measures encouraged innovation, promoted best practice in husbandry and aimed to raise production standards across livestock farms nationally.

A key part of the festival was the Livestock Auction, which ran in parallel with the "Best Breeds" contests and operated as a marketing platform for elite local animals. The auction enabled direct transactions between breeders, traders and other stakeholders, increasing exposure for distinguished Najdi lines. Organisers said this trading activity contributed to higher economic returns for local herds and better links between quality outcomes and actual market demand.

The committee explained that auction prices often reflected competition rankings, with winning or highly rated animals attracting stronger interest from buyers. This connection between judging results and sales performance helped support the long-term sustainability of livestock businesses. It also strengthened the commercial position of UAE-raised animals, as national products gained visibility with investors and buyers seeking reliable, high-yielding breeding stock.

The "Best Breeds" competitions formed a central pillar of the Livestock Festival, concentrating on specific categories within the Najdi breed. Awards covered Best Ten Ewes (Elite Round), Best Three Ewes (Sharaya Category), Best Three Ewes (Farm Production Category), and Best Najdi Ram. The judging committee prioritised animal care, balanced nutrition and preventive health, alongside productivity indicators, when selecting the 25 winners across all listed classes.

Organisers reported that this year’s outcomes showed clear progress by UAE breeders in improving the performance of local stock and refining genetic lines. The results indicated stronger productive efficiency and alignment with the country’s goals for sustainable animal production. By encouraging the adoption of high-yield, locally adapted Najdi breeds, the festival supported efforts to build herds that can respond to environmental conditions while meeting growing domestic demand.

Livestock Festival role in food security and sector development

ADAFSA’s backing of the Livestock Festival was presented as part of a wider framework to increase the competitiveness of livestock activities and support national food security systems. Officials highlighted that aligning breeding practices with food security strategies could make domestic supply chains more resilient. The festival’s model integrates technical judging, commercial marketing and knowledge sharing, offering a platform where breeders learn from peer examples and benchmark their operations.

Adel Al Shabeebi, Head of the Livestock Festival Team, described the auction as essential within this framework, stating that "the auction is a central component of the festival, translating breeders’ efforts into economic value and encouraging continued improvements in quality and productivity." Al Shabeebi noted that stronger links between competition outcomes, investment decisions and herd performance are helping build a more resilient local production system that can better serve market needs.

With inputs from WAM