Conventional and alternative cereal-sheep farming systems in Castile-La Mancha

Rafael Caballero

In Castile - La Mancha (south-central Spain), a system of land use operates based on a balance between cereal production and sheep farming. This system is increasingly under threat, not so much for technical reasons, but mainly because of social and structural constraints, which impinge on diversification and the integration of sheep farming into the cereal monoculture systems.

Arable land occupies just under 60% of agricultural land in Castile - La Mancha, the rest being natural pasture, shrub-steppe (eriales), and Mediterranean forest. A two-year cereal-fallow system is the conventional crop rotation, for the most part, non-irrigated barley and wheat. The proportion of fallow to cropped land is 21% (1989 figures), or almost 1m ha.

There are 3 m Manchega breeding ewes in the region, utilising seasonal and low-quality natural resources (natural pasture, eriales, fallow and cereal stubbles). The commonest shepherding system involves continuous supervision on seasonally variable, open, unfenced grazing areas. Annual feeding programmes are unable to rely on the continuous availability of feed resources because of the poor quality of available forage, and climatic constraints. Flocks are evenly distributed between meat and milk production, the latter being more prevalent on the plain, the former in hill areas.

On average, only 20% of arable farmers keep sheep, while 46% of the sheep producers are land-less pastoralists. The nature of the land resources, and this ownership regime result in extensive systems, occupying large, unfenced areas in relation to the size of the business. This structure has retarded the transition from open grazing to semi-enclosed systems. Young farmers tend to be disinclined to become involved in the sheep sector, and at present, more than 80% of sheep farmers are over 40 years old.

These cereal-sheep systems are the subject of a new study that will be carried out at La Poveda Experimental Farm near Madrid as part of a co-ordinated European research project "Diversification and reorganisation of productive activities related to animal production in disadvantaged areas" (Diversification et reorganization des activités productives liées a l'elevage dans les zones defavorisées - DIVOR-DEF). The longer-term objective is to devise a Best Management Plan (BMP) that will increase the biological and economic efficiencies of the cereal-sheep systems. This BMP will facilitate diversification, re-organisation of present agricultural support policy, standardisation of products, and redefinition of strategies for the main social actors in the region.

Sustainable farm economic development can be enhanced through value-adding operations, through the better integration of sheep into the arable system, and better links between farmers, pastoralists, cheese and meat processors, and research and extension staff.

An earlier study carried out under the EU CAMAR programme indicated that an 8% increase in the area grown of forage legumes would be enough to cover the present forage deficit. A non-irrigated leguminous hay crop would also increase soil nitrogen for the subsequent cereal crop in the arable rotation. Further possibilities exist to derive income from the natural resources, particularly steppe birds, through hunting and bird-watching. However, the structure and maintenance of the existing systems arises from current CAP subsidy, which disincline farmers to technological and structural changes. The level of support is equivalent to some 40% of the total value of production.

These new objectives for agriculture in Castile - La Mancha will require a new regionally-targeted EU aid scheme which will provide support for the traditional cereal-sheep systems, without requiring the acceptance of environmentally damaging practices, and that will create or maintain a way of life that is socially and economically attractive, particularly to young farmers.

Dr Rafael Caballero,

Finca Experimental La Poveda,

CCMA, CSIC.

Ctra de Campo Real km 1.300, 28500 Arganda del Rey. Madrid. Spain.

Tel: +34 1 8714656. Fax: +34 1 8714655

References

Caballero, R., Arauzo, M., & Garcia, C. 1992. Implications of introducing sheep into the existing agricultural systems of Central Spain. J. Int, Farm Manag.

Caballero, R. 1993. An experts' survey on the role of legumes in arable cropping systems of the Mediterranean area. J. Sustainable Agric. 3: 133-154.

Caballero, R. Rebolé, A., Barro, C., Alzueta, C., Treviño, J., & Garcia, C. 1996. Farming practices and chemical bases for a proposed quality standard of vetch-cereal hays. Field Crops Res. (In press).

Flamant, J.C. 1992. Las systèmes d'elevage mediterraneens dans leurs rapports aux systèmes cerealiers: diversité et evolution pp 30-44. In: Livestock in the Mediterranean cereal production systems. (Eds. Guessons, F., Kabali, A., & Narjise, H. Pudoc Scientific, Wageningen. NL.