Slovak-Hungarian cooperation in the protection of biodiversity

The total budget of the project is 998,683 euros, of which the Hungarian side will receive 360,910 euros of community support between May 1, 2024 and October 31, 2026.

In the announcement, it is explained that in the region along the Danube, due to the same environmental factors, the indigenous farm animals that have developed are similar in nature. With the rise of intensive agricultural systems, both countries are struggling with the displacement of native breeds from production and a drastic reduction in their numbers. Without conscious gene conservation programs, these breeds may disappear permanently, so it is of utmost importance for both countries to preserve the genetic material of these breeds and integrate them into production, they said.

The NBGK pays special attention to the preservation of the genetic diversity of indigenous farm animal species and breeds. The Hungarian giant rabbit, for example, is a breed with a critical threat level. The project provides the opportunity to involve individuals found at external breeders based on genetic tests, to increase the number of beds, to install modern ventilation technology and to create rooms that support the breeder’s work in the current livestock buildings.

According to the information, the long-term preservation of the genetic material can be achieved in a cryogenic state using in vitro methods. The objective of the tender is the development of semen deep-cooling methods for both the giant hare and native poultry species and breeds. In domestic fowl and domestic goose species, the NBGK genebank has developed and applies technologies, including cryopreservation of embryonic stem cells and genital tissues, which enable the long-term storage of the female genome. Another goal is to transfer these new methods to the Slovak partner and expand the number of gene bank samples in both countries.