LSIRD NAPLIO CONFERENCE POSTERS

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A dairy ewe sustainable livestock system in the basque country.
Characteristics and constraints.

R. Ruiz; L.M. Oregui; M.V. Bravo; E. Urarte

CIMA-Granja Modelo de Arkaute. Apdo. 48 01080 VITORIA-GASTEIZ (Spain)

SYSTEM

The basis of this livestock system is the Latxa ewe, a local dairy breed exploited in the Basque Country since remote ages, which, because of that, is perfectly adapted to the environment characteristics, mainly the climate (Atlantic climate with a rainfall of 900-1500 mm/year) and the altitude (0 to 1500 m.a.s.l.).

Nowadays, in the Basque Country there is a population of about 247,000 ewes distributed in 4,250 flocks, from a total population of 750,000 if we consider both sides of the Pyrenees.

PRODUCTION OBJECTIVES

• As it has been pointed out before, and as a consequence of being a dairy breed, the main product in this system is the milk. The destiny of this milk is cheese production, mainly Idiazabal cheese, a traditional, high-quality product, controlled by the corresponding "Denomination of Origin" (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlé) since 1987.

At the present time, about 50 % of the total milk production of the Basque Country is transformed into cheese at the farms. This fact implies some positive aspects:

a) The added value generated in this process is kept within the farmer's environment.

b) The transformation requires a larger work force, so it contributes more in the maintenance of rural population.

• Although according to this dairy aptitude the lamb could be considered as a secondary production, in fact it can represent a great percentage of the total incomes for some kind of farms, specially for those less productive ones. Normally, they are slaughtered after having suckled during 28-30 days, when they reach 10-11 kg body weight.

• Finally, and as a residual production, there is the wool, which for this breed is rough and of low quality.

Starting from the data corresponding to the net incomes of 16 flocks in advisory programs, 7 selling milk and 9 on-farm processing, some differences can be shown between both types of farms (Table 1): although for the net incomes per labour unit (L.U.) there are scarcely no differences, as the requirement of work when making cheese is greater, the total incomes in this group of farms is more important than in those selling milk to the dairy industries.

Table 1: Incomes according to the farm aptitude.

L.U.= Labour Unit Milk price=0.81 ECU /l Cheese price=10-11.5 ECU/kg

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SYSTEM

• First of all, and as a difference with other livestock systems, the shepherd is usually the owner of both the farm and the flock.
• Second, most of the Latxa population is located close to the mountain massifs of the Basque Country, in areas with medium-high sloping lands, those of lesser value for other agricultural purposes.
• In relation to the flock size it must be added the great variability existing, having most of them between 75 and 500 ewes.
• Moreover, and something that is going to affect the whole system, there is in general a limited available surface (5-30 ha per farm).
• As for the feeding management, this is principally based on grazing, which shapes both the productive cycle and farming practices.
• Finally, and since 1985, there is a Breeding Programme in development to improve milk production, which has been designed using a BLUP model with an animal model and repeatability.

STRATEGY

Taking into account these characteristics, and in order to overcome the limitations of the system, an strategy based on transhumance has been developed to integrate different grazing resources during the whole production cycle (Figure 1).

It generally consists on a short movement of the flocks from the valley, where they are during winter and spring, to the mountain pastures, where they will pass the summer and the autumn. These two periods can be defined by the following points:

Nevertheless, these characteristics and parameters can vary according with the particular degree of management and production intensification of the specific farm (Figure 2).

PRESENT CONSTRAINTS

The near future of this livestock system will happen marked by a series of factors that are affecting the present situation, as they are the following:

1. Progressive decrease in the number of farmers as a consequence of:

-High average age of the shepherds (45-50 years old)

-Rural population movement, leaving farming activities (during the period 1985-1994 the annual decrease of agricultural work varied from 4% to 6% according to different sources).

2. Decrease in the use of mountain pastures due to:

-Better living conditions requested by farmers.

-Return of the wolf (Canis lupus) over the last 6 years, after an absence of more than 30 years.

Due to these two points, there is the risk of the disappearance of the traditional system, and Latxa ewes being substituted by foreign breeds, more productive in intensive systems.

3. On the other hand, the increasing environmental concern over the last 7 years has led to nearly 10% of the total surface area of the Basque Country being declared protected areas, which the local government plans to extend to 17.5% in the medium term. The role of livestock production in the sustainability of these areas is important, so they can help in maintaining the Latxa traditional system.

REFERENCES

Besga, G.; Albizu, I.; Rodriguez, M.; Onaindia, M.; Domingo, M.; Amezaga, I. -1996- Pasture productivity and utilization in communal grazing land in the Basque Country. 9th Meeting of the FAO working group for mountain pastures. Banska Bystrica (Slovakia) 20-23th June.

Marijuan, S.-1996- El pastoreo en comunales: Estudio del comportamiento de las ovejas y la utilización de los recursos disponibles. Tesis Master of Science. C.I.H.E.A.M. Zaragoza (Spain).

Oregui, L.M.-1992- Estudio del manejo de la alimentación en los rebaños ovinos de raza Latxa y su influencia sobre los resultados reproductivos y de producción de leche. Tesis Doctoral. Servicio Central de Publicaciones del Gobierno Vasco.Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain).

Ruiz, R.; Oregui, L.M.; Bravo, M.V.-1996- Farm characteristics and milk production of dairy ewe flocks in the Basque Country. 4th International Livestock Farming Systems Symposium.Tjele (Denmark). 22-23th August.

Urarte, E.; Gabiña, D.; Arranz, J.; Arrese, F.; Gorostiza, P.; Sierra, I.-1989- Las razas ovinas Latxa y Carranzana.I. Sistemas de producción. ITEA Producción Animal nº 84. Zaragoza (Spain).

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