Sheep farming is one of the leading livestock sectors in the world, as there remains a steady demand for high-quality wool and young lamb. In regions with large areas for pasture, sheep are bred for meat and sheepskin for domestic consumption and for export. The leading countries in sheep breeding are China, Australia, India, where the number of animals ranges from 50 to 140 million.
- Home of sheep farming
- Popular breeds: indicator by country
- How many breeds of sheep are there in the world?
- Leading countries for import/export of sheep products
- Development trends of sheep breeding in Russia
- Subsidies and benefits for farmers in the Russian Federation
- Farmers' mistakes when buying/selling sheep
- Advice from experienced sheep farmers
Home of sheep farming
The ancestor of the domestic sheep was tamed by humans 6-8 thousand years BC. Thanks to the sheep, people received a year-round source of food and warm clothing. The first sheep herds appeared in Turkey, Syria, in the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, where the natural area was favorable for grazing. The specialization of this branch of livestock farming is sheep breeding.
Sheep farming is divided into sub-sectors:
- obtaining meat;
- wool;
- sheepskin and smushka;
- production of fermented milk products.
One of the export items is also sheep intestines, used for the production of sausages, sausages, and in the cosmetics industry.
Popular breeds: indicator by country
The specialization of sheep breeding depends on domestic demand, the availability of pastures, and climatic conditions. China is the world leader in lamb production (1/3 of the world supply). The country is developing and implementing intensive methods of growing meat sheep, as well as breeding fine-wool sheep.
Australia is a country of sheep. The number of herds on sheep farms reaches 200 thousand heads. Sheep breeding specializes in wool. Every year, 1/3 of the world's volume of fine-wool sheepskin is sheared here. The predominant breed is Merino.
In New Zealand, local meat, wool and wool breeds are raised. The country is the largest exporter of wool and young lamb.
In Europe, the oldest sheep-breeding country is England, famous for its highly productive meat and wool breeds: Wiltshire Horn and Wensleydale. The UK is a leading exporter of lamb.
The export of Iran and Pakistan is dominated by karakul (lamb skins). Israel is a supplier of fermented milk products.Sheep were brought to South Africa 200 years ago by the Portuguese. Currently, the country occupies a leading place on the African continent in breeding meat and wool sheep. In North America, the number of sheep is insignificant: in the USA - up to 80 thousand, in Canada - up to 900 thousand heads.
Sheep breeds most popular in leading countries in sheep breeding:
| A country | Breed | Specialization |
| China | dorper,
meat merino |
meat |
| Australia | local merino | wool |
| India | local | furry, hairless |
| Iran | Afshari, green | meat and dairy, meat |
| New Zealand | merino, romney, corydale | wool, meat-wool |
| South Africa | dorper | meat |
| Türkiye | white camaran, red camaran, Daglich | meat and wool |
Among the breeds, the highest rated in popularity and prevalence are Merino and Corydale (1/4 of the total number of sheep).
How many breeds of sheep are there in the world?
Over the past millennia, about 600 breeds of sheep have been developed. The most widespread are 20 species. The global animal population is more than 1 billion.
The largest sheep breeding areas are in the subtropics, tropics, deserts and semi-deserts, where there are large pasture areas. The geography of sheep farming extends to Asia, Africa, Australia, South America, and Europe.
By the number of goals, the leading countries are:
- China – more than 140 million;
- Australia - about 100 million;
- India - about 60 million;
- Iran – more than 50 million;
- New Zealand - more than 40 million.
In the UK, South Africa, Turkey, Pakistan and Spain the sheep population approaches 30 million or more. There are about 20 million animals in Russia.
Leading countries for import/export of sheep products
In countries with significant animal populations, more meat breeds are bred.
Main producers of lamb:
- Australia;
- New Zealand;
- Great Britain;
- Pakistan.
Leading exporters are Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand. Importers: USA, Japan, EU, Canada. The leaders in wool production and its main suppliers to the world market are:
- Australia;
- New Zealand;
- Argentina;
- Uruguay;
- Pakistan.
New Zealand specializes in fine-wool sheep breeding, ranking first in the world in its exports. In Africa, South Africa supplies lamb to neighboring countries; its sheep population accounts for 3% of the world's total. India is among the countries with one of the largest sheep populations in the world, but sheep farming is extremely backward. Local coarse-haired breeds are bred for the production of national clothing (shawls and scarves).
Development trends of sheep breeding in Russia
Since the 90s of the last century, the number of sheep in the Russian Federation has been steadily declining. Over 20 years, it decreased from 58 million heads to 14 million (2008). Russian producers are experiencing a shortage of wool, especially fine wool. Every year, up to 18 thousand tons of wool are exported to the country, with its own production of 42 thousand tons. This situation is associated with the unprofitability of sheep farms engaged in breeding wool sheep.
Causes:
- insufficient breeding work;
- herd aging;
- lack of laboratories for certification of wool for export.
Sheep farming is widespread in the North Caucasus (40% of the population), Southern (25%), and Siberian (15.5%) federal districts. There are large sheep farms in Dagestan, Kalmykia, Volgograd, Astrakhan regions, and the Republic of Tyva. These farms ensure the production of marketable lamb in the Russian Federation.In other regions, due to the small number of sheep, lamb is produced for their own needs.
Sheep farming meets the population's needs for traditional products and raw materials in harsh climatic conditions. The intensification of sheep farming in the world and the growing demand for industry products is accompanied by the breeding of new, more productive breeds of sheep.
Currently, 39 wool breeds are bred in Russia, including:
- 14 fine wool;
- 11 semi-fine fleece;
- 2 semi-coarse-haired;
- 12 rough-haired.
The possibilities for sheep breeding in the leading regions (Dagestan and Kalmykia) have been exhausted due to extreme loads on pastures. But other regions have significant potential for industry development.
Subsidies and benefits for farmers in the Russian Federation
The Federal Program for the Development of Sheep Breeding for the period from 2014 to 2020 provides for measures to increase the number of sheep, primarily ewes (up to 16.8 million heads). To meet the needs of the textile and light industry for raw materials, it is planned to stimulate manufacturers with an additional allocation of 500 million rubles from the federal budget.
With the support of the state, sheep farmers are faced with the task of increasing productivity by using new breeds, natural resources, and deepening regional specialization.
The state strategy for the next 5 years is to improve the quality and competitiveness of products on the world market. The achieved indicators should satisfy domestic needs for lamb and wool and increase export potential.
Starting from 2020, livestock breeders will be able to insure sheep against natural disasters, fires, and epizootics.Subjects of the federation will receive government funding for the development of the agro-industrial sector in accordance with their programs. Local sheep farmers have the opportunity to receive subsidies for the purchase of breeding stock and compensation for the delivery of products to processing sites.
Farmers' mistakes when buying/selling sheep
When purchasing lambs, a beginner in sheep farming is advised to find a specialist who will determine the health of the young animals and their breeding.
The transaction is drawn up in writing, which indicates the brand, gender, breed, age.
The seller must provide certificates from a veterinarian and breed certificates. You should not rely on verbal assurances from the breeder. When selling animals, you should take a receipt from the buyer for receipt of documents and money.
Advice from experienced sheep farmers
To form a breeding herd, it is necessary to purchase a healthy, mature inseminator. For 60-70 sheep, 1 ram is enough, but for stimulation it needs competitors in the herd (2-3 males). When choosing a breeding animal, pay attention, in general, to the general physical condition. He must have a correct bite and no signs of anemia, tuberculosis, or hoof rot. The sexual characteristics of the ram should be clearly expressed, without traces of atrophy or disease.
After deciding to raise sheep, you should get acquainted with local sheep breeders and consult about breeds, feed, and living conditions. In this case, you should decide on the form of organization of the economy (LH, LLC, peasant farm), on which the amount of subsidies received and the payment of taxes depend.
