Farming Systems Producing Livestock in Mediterranean Areas

Abstract

The major farming systems producing livestock in Mediterranean areas can be classified into four groups: nomadic herding; transhumant farming; rainfed farming; and irrigated farming. In these systems the animal resources and the feed resources closely interact. In a study of seven Mediterranean countries it was found that small ruminants account for 25% of the total ruminant population, and that natural rangeland and dry roughages account for 75% of the total feed resources, while large ruminants could only be fed by the irrigated farming systems of Morocco and Egypt. The farming systems in these seven countries have generated three livestock feeding systems: extensive; integrated with arable crops; intensive. In mixed farming systems interactions between crops and livestock often have major impact on the productivity and efficiency of these systems.

A detailed four-point strategy is suggested and discussed for the development of the animal feed resources in Mediterranean areas:

• 1. Programs for the development of natural rangelands.

• 2. Better use of crop residues and agro-industrial by-products.

• 3. Increased forage production.

• 4. The use of forage trees in ruminant feeding.