Current Situation and Future of Sheep Breeds: Mediterranean Region

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the situation of sheep breeds bred in eight provinces in the Mediterranean Region with the data of 2021, taking into account the yield direction, tail type, and origin. The experimental material consists of the data for the year 2021 on the Livestock Information Processing System (HAYBIS) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Turkey. The total sheep number in the Mediterranean Region is 3599932 heads and a total of 48 sheep breeds are raised in eight provinces. The province with the highest number of sheep breeds is Antalya (36) while the lowest value belongs to Osmaniye (27). The province with the highest total sheep presence in the region is Mersin with 748840 head. Culture breed milk-type sheep are generally bred in small numbers. The demand for culture breeds (Suffolk, Dorper, etc.) with meat yield is quite high. In the region, the cold chain application for sheep and goat milk production activities, the inadequacy of milk collection centers, and the weak organization among the sheep breeders create problems for the breeders in this region. As a result, it will be possible for sheep breeders to make profitable production only with an organized structure and sustainable animal production.

Keywords

• mediterranean region
• sustainable sheep breeding
• sheep breeds
• tail shape
• origin