Previous PageTable of ContentsNext Page

INTRODUCTION

In spite of its economic importance in Tunisian agriculture, the sheep-farming sector has kept its traditional character of flock management which is still essentially extensive. In fact, more than 80 percent of livestock feeding resources comes from natural vegetation (Ministry of Agriculture, 1981). However, pasture productivity is intimately related to annual rainfall and to its seasonal distribution and thus is subject to all the irregularities which characterize the Tunisian Mediterranean climate.

Furthermore, the uncontrolled growth of sheep numbers, mechanization and extension of cultivated lands (cereals, fruit trees and irrigated areas) to the detriment of pastures are many factors which restrict natural fodder availability. At the same time, sheep numbers had increased from 1 400 000 reproductive females in 1975 to 3 400 000 reproductive females in 1986. Consequently, this has caused an inbalance in animal nutritional requirements and pasture production where the stocking rate is continually increasing. In 1969, Le Houerou had already estimated that the stocking rate was, according to area, 25-45 percent in excess.

The chronic state of undernutrition of the flocks may explain their low productivity. This varies on average between 0.85 lamb/ewe/year in the north (more than 400 mm of rain/year) and only 0.70 lamb/ewe/year in the centre and the south of the country (less than 400 mm of rain/year), but as soon as nutritional conditions become favourable, productivity can reach 1.20 to 1.25 lambs/ewe/year (Tchamitchian and Sarson, 1970).

To satisfy their growing needs, all countries in North Africa are importing increasing quantities of meat. Tunisia, for example, imported less than 1 000 tons of meat in 1970, 6 000 tons in 1977, 15 000 tons in 1980 and 34 000 tons in 1984.

Therefore, a significant increase in mutton production is necessary to meet the situation. This involves increasing the number of reproductive females and/or improving their productivity (individual performances). However, further overstocking of pastures will increase overgrazing and accelerate their degradation. An increase in ewe productivity could therefore contribute to solving the problem of meat production on dry land, especially in North Africa. Nevertheless, improvement in productivity must consider fodder availability in each region. Thus, in the semi-arid and arid zones, feed supplementation should allow each ewe to wean one lamb every year. In the more rainy regions, where intensification and diversification of forage crops are possible, intensive sheep production should be considered. However, these objectives can only be reached if the actual production potential is known under different management conditions. In Tunisia and Libya this refers especially to the Barbary breed since it represents 85 percent of the sheep population in these countries.

This paper will present the most important characteristics of the Barbary breed with suggestions for improving its productivity at the same time taking advantage of its remarkable hardiness. These characteristics concern principally milk production, growth, carcass quality, reproduction and their interaction with different nutritional conditions.