About us
We both qualified in veterinary science in 1977 and then built our careers in animal science research and teaching.
Approach
Our work sits where livestock production meets the constraints of hot, dry environments: what animals can actually be fed, how they grow, what the carcass yields, and which breeds are worth conserving. Most of it has been done on farms and research stations in Sudan, Oman and the wider Gulf rather than in a laboratory.
Between us we have taught, run research programmes, written and managed grants, sat on ministry committees and organised international conferences. That range is the point. A question about feed standards usually turns out to also be a question about procurement, training and who will collect the data after the consultant leaves.
Collaborations have run through universities in Germany, Italy, Portugal, New Zealand and the United States, alongside Omani ministries, Petroleum Development Oman and Muscat Municipality. Where a project needs expertise we do not have, we say so and bring in someone who does.
The consultancy has been based in Toronto, Ontario since 2024 and works with clients internationally.
The professors
Professor Osman Mahgoub
Animal scientist · Qualified 1977
Qualified BVSc at the University of Khartoum in 1977, MVSc in meat production there in 1980, and PhD in animal science at Lincoln College, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, in 1988. He spent thirty years at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, rising to Professor and serving as Head of the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and as Assistant Dean twice. Most recently he was Visiting Professor at United Arab Emirates University.
His research is on meat production from farm animals in hot climates: growth and carcass composition, the nutritional requirements of native breeds, the use of local feeds and agricultural by-products, and breed characterisation by molecular methods. His laboratory was the first to define the meat production characteristics of Omani native breeds, and he established the department's molecular biology laboratory. He has supervised fourteen masters and seven doctoral students, and has been principal or co-investigator on twenty-eight funded projects.
He is a former Associate Editor of the Journal of Applied Animal Science, has refereed for Meat Science, Small Ruminant Research, Livestock Science and others, and served as country representative for Oman at the International Goat Association.
Professor Nour El Huda Osman
Animal scientist · Qualified 1977
Qualified in veterinary science in 1977 and has spent more than forty years in animal and veterinary science across teaching, research and academic administration. Co-owner of the consultancy.
Published work includes the chapter on mineral composition of goat meat in Goat Meat Production and Quality (CABI, 2011), and a 1988 evaluation of the animal production operation at Hacienda Rupanco in Chile, prepared for the SAAR Foundation.
In 2026 the two professors published Veterinary Education in Sudan: its past, present and future with Neelan Publishing, written with Dr Um Al-Alim Abaker Idris and Dr Khatma Hassan Al-Malik.
Chronology
Selected chronology
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Both qualified BVSc at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Khartoum.
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Osman Mahgoub completed a PhD in animal science at Lincoln College, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
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Joined Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, where he stayed thirty years and became Professor, Head of Department and twice Assistant Dean.
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Helped establish the Committee of Animal Ethics at Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, and served on it until 2019.
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Joint committee with the Omani Ministry of Education to develop the curriculum for Agriculture Teachers Colleges.
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Joint committee with the Omani Ministry of Commerce and Industry to set animal feed standards for the GCC countries.
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Organising committee, International Conference on Animal Production in Hot Climates.
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Joint committee with the Omani Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries evaluating the effects of camels on the environment.
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Member of the committee preparing Oman's national report on animal genetic resources.
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Chaired the organising committee for the International Conference on Small Ruminant Production and Health in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions.
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Omani committee to establish the Animal and Plant Genetic Resources programme, under The Research Council.
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Sultan Qaboos University Academic Council.
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Visiting Professor, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University.
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The consultancy relocated to Toronto, Ontario.
Enquiries
Working on something in this field?
Tell us about the project and what you need from it. If it falls outside our area, we will say so.