Sheep And Goats In Developing Countries

The objectives of this study are to assess the role of small ruminants (sheep and goats) in the food production systems of developing countries, examine their advantages and disadvantages, analyze the constraints limiting their further contribution to the welfare of small farm/low income rural producers, prescribe measures for overcoming these constraints, and make recommendations related to potential donor involvement in support of the development of sheep and goat production. Small ruminants are viewed as an integral, but not dominant component of complex agricultural systems. Particular emphasis is placed on sheep and goats in mixed herds grazing dry rangelands and in small mixed farm systems in medium to high rainfall areas. An analysis of major constraints -- ecological, biological, policy, and socio-economic -- leads to recommendations on the need for a balanced production system approach for research, training and development programs, and for a combination of support activities such as herd health programs, and formulation of favorable credit, marketing and pricing policies for small ruminants and their products.

Small ruminants, such as sheep and goats, fit well into smallholder farming systems: cheap to buy and maintain, easy to work with and to market, they are widely distributed throughout the world, but policy-makers and administrators tend to overlook their contributions to the economy and rural and peri-urban livelihoods.

Ecology and distribution; Breeding; Reproduction; Maintenance and growth; Pregnancy; Lactation of suckling ewes and does; Nutritional diseases; Infectious diseases of sheep and goats; Internal parasites of sheep and goats; External parasites of sheep and goats; Growth and characteristics of wool and hair; Wiik grading and marketing; Livestock and meat marketing and grading; Carcase and meat qualities; Milk production in sheep and goats; Systems, biological and economic efficiencies; Very extensive systems; Extensive grazing systems; Intensive grassland systems; Intensive arable systems; Very intensive systems; Government controlled systems; Migratory (Transhumance) systems; Nomadic systems; Village and smallholder systems; List of contributors.

This book is focused on the challenges to implement sustainability in diverse contexts such as agribusiness, natural resource systems and new technologies. The experiences made by the researchers of the School of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Science (SAFE) of the University of Basilicata offer a wide and multidisciplinary approach to the identification and testing of different solutions tailored to the economic, social and environmental characteristics of the region and the surrounding areas. Basilicata’s productive system is mainly based on activities related to the agricultural sector and exploitation of natural resources but it has seen, in recent years, an industrial development driven by the discovery of oil fields. SAFE research took up the challenge posed by market competition to create value through the sustainable use of renewable and non-renewable resources of the territory. Moreover, due to its unique geographical position in the middle of the Mediterranean basin, Basilicata is an excellent “open sky” laboratory for testing sustainable solutions adaptable to other Mediterranean areas. This collection of multidisciplinary case studies and research experiences from SAFE researchers and their scientific partners is a stimulating contribution to the debate on the development of sustainable techniques, methods and applications for the Mediterranean regions.

Goat science covers quite a wide range and varieties of topics, from genetics and breeding, via nutrition, production systems, reproduction, milk and meat production, animal health and parasitism, etc., up to the effects of goat products on human health. In this book, several parts of them are presented within 18 different chapters. Molecular genetics and genetic improvement of goats are the new approaches of goat development. Several factors affect the passage rate of digesta in goats, but for diet properties, goats are similar to other ruminants. Iodine deficiency in goats could be dangerous. Assisted reproduction techniques have similar importance in goats like in other ruminants. Milk and meat production traits of goats are almost equally important and have significant positive impacts on human health. Many factors affect the health of goats, heat stress being of increasing importance. Production systems could modify all of the abovementioned characteristics of goats.

This paper first seeks to place sheep and goat raising and their use within the context of the current agricultural and food situation in Africa. The contribution of small ruminants to African economies--in terms of meat and meat products, milk, wool and skins, as well as their place in international trade--are also examined. Our attention is then focused on past and current patterns of ownership and use, both among herding societies, and agropastoralists and agricultural societies. Key trends in population, demand and agricultural systems are examined, with the conclusion that by and large, African nations will have little choice but to make serious efforts to further integrate livestock into their crop production systems. The implications for the demand for mutton and goat meat are also examined. A proposed type of strategy based on past project experiences and on our understanding of current systems and the influence of market forces, follows.