Thumbnail Image

Intensive sheep production in the Near East

Year of publication 1983

Pages 75

Author Animal Production and Health Division

Product type Book (stand-alone)

ISBN 9251013993

Series title FAO Animal Production and Health Paper

Series number 0254-6019

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Sheep meat is the preferred meat in the Near East and in some countries it constitutes a major part of the total meat supply. In the Eastern Mediterranean countries, sheep milk is also a valuable commodity. In recent years the demand for sheep meat has grown dramatically and the traditional extensive system of production is not able to cope with it. Consequently, the high-income countries have resorted to imports; mainly from outside the region. in some countries of the region, the potential f or increasing sheep production is limited, while in most of the other countries the land, animal and feed resources can be appropriately developed and utilized to produce sufficient meat for domestic consumption and in some cases for export. There are many possibilities of increasing meat production through improved management of rangelands and the range sheep. Similarly, in arable lands and higher rainfall areas, meat and milk output can be greatly increased by establishing intensified patterns of sheep production. Small or medium scale intensive sheep produ etion has been popular in some countries of the region and needs to be promoted in others. The FAO Workshop on the Improved Utilization of Feed Resources for Sheep Fattening in the Near East held at Amman from 25 - 29 April 1981, pointed out the need to identify and demonstrate appropriate procedures for intensifying sheep production in breeding/fattening as well as in fattening units. The practical aspects of animal management in such units needed to be compiled and documented. In 1982, FAO requested Dr. Soterios Economides of the Agricultural Research Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus, to undertake this task. He has had long experience in sheep production research and extension and has conducted regional sheep production courses organized by the FAO regional project on animal production and health, MINEADEP. The report prepared by Dr. Economides is presented in this paper. It is hoped that the material presented in the pa per will be useful to the producers and extension workers in the countries of the Near East region.

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Sheep farmer field schools - A facilitators’ guide
    Development and application of sustainable sheep production and food value chains - UTF/AZE/009/AZE
    2021
    Also available in:
    This facilitator’s guide for sheep-related Farmer Field Schools (FFS) has been developed for the FAO project UTF/AZE/009/AZE, “Development and application of sustainable sheep production and food value chains”, in Azerbaijan. In Azerbaijan, small ruminant production plays an essential role in the livestock sector as it provides income for rural families and contributes to many households' livelihood.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Project
    Enhancing Land and Water Productivity in Africa and the Near East through Remote Sensing Technology - GCP/INT/229/NET 2021
    Also available in:
    All countries in North Africa and the Near East suffer from severe water scarcity. In this region, irrigated agriculture accounts for a large proportion of the water demand and is often the first sector affected by water shortages and scarcity. Notably, when water is in short supply, there are additional challenges for sustaining per capita food production and meeting domestic, industrial and environmental water needs. Further complicating matters, the total area suffering from severe water scarcity is expected to increase as a result of changing climatic conditions. Increasing water scarcity and competition for water resources also pose major threats to food security and poverty alleviation. If the effects of climate change are not managed effectively, more frequent and extensive periods of drought are expected, creating additional challenges for maintaining the balance between water demand and sustainable development. Despite the agriculture sector being a primary consumer of water, irrigation services and scheme performances have not been fully optimized in the region and best management practices and technologies have not been widely deployed. As such, this project was designed to support countries in monitoring land and water productivity, identifying productivity gaps and developing suitable solutions.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.