The objectives of this study are to assess the role of small ruminants (sheep and goats) in the food production systems of developing countries, examine their advantages and disadvantages, analyze the constraints limiting their further contribution to the welfare of small farm/low income rural producers, prescribe measures for overcoming these constraints, and make recommendations related to potential donor involvement in support of the development of sheep and goat production. Small ruminants are viewed as an integral, but not dominant component of complex agricultural systems. Particular emphasis is placed on sheep and goats in mixed herds grazing dry rangelands and in small mixed farm systems in medium to high rainfall areas. An analysis of major constraints -- ecological, biological, policy, and socio-economic -- leads to recommendations on the need for a balanced production system approach for research, training and development programs, and for a combination of support activities such as herd health programs, and formulation of favorable credit, marketing and pricing policies for small ruminants and their products.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1958.

It is the purpose of this publication to assist those interested in medicinal plant identification and to furnish other useful information in connection with the work.

In the past five years, the small ruminant sector in the Western Balkans has experienced a decline, most notably in Albania, where the sheep population decreased from 1.97 million to 1.48 million. Despite this setback, Albania remains the leading producer of sheep and goat milk in the region, while Serbia has achieved a remarkable 44.6 percent increase in sheep and goat meat production over the past decade. Albania's per capita consumption of mutton and goat meat stands among the highest globally at 8.68 kg/year in 2020, a stark contrast to other Western Balkans countries, where consumption ranges from 0.61 to 3.33 kg/year. Bosnia and Herzegovina is the top importer of live small ruminants, whereas Serbia and Montenegro mainly import processed sheep and goat meat. The report delineates four principal market channels for small ruminant milk and three for small ruminant meat that farmers utilize for product commercialization. Albanian small ruminant farmers predominantly focus on milk production, while their counterparts in Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are inclined towards meat production. The sheep and goat sector confronts several challenges, including limited labour availability, depressed prices, and insufficient investment funds. Additionally, the undeveloped wool value chain raises environmental concerns. Regarding policy preferences, sheep and goat farmers favour direct support measures, such as per head payments for milking small ruminants. Suggested interventions include replicating successful business models, fostering collective actions, and aligning strategies with the European Union's Green Deal. The report underscores the necessity for enhanced buyer–farmer integration, effective value chain governance, and strategic farm management practices to foster growth in the small ruminant sector.