Sheep - AgRIS

13. Meat Production
13.1 MeatProduction, comsumption and marketing trends
With a formidable 28% of large ruminant population and around 25% of small ruminant
popultion of the world, Indian should have dominated the meat trade. However, ironically this
country produces less than 1% ofthe total of 150 million tonnes meat production in the world.
Of the annual meat production of around 1.2 million tonnes a little over 50% is from small
ruminants, a quarter from large ruminants and an equal amount from poultry and pigs. Inspite
of the vast reservoir of ruminant population, the meat exports from this country are only Rs.
100 crores annually.
Mutton Production from sheep from 1987 to 1994 along with the projected figures in 2001
and 2015 is given in Table 13.1.
Although the percentage increase in meat production has been
23.85, the contribution to total rneat production has decreased by 2.86 during the last
20years. The total meat production from all meat animals has increased by 51.46 per cent from
684 million tonnes during 1961 to 1965, to 1036 million tonnes in 1985. During the same
period the contribution of sheep and goat has relatively decreased from 52.61 to 43.44 per cent;
the average carcass weight remained at 9 kg. These changes indicate that the meat production
from sheep and goat has not been coping with the increased demand and the relative role of
sheep and goat enterprises towards meat production is getting decreased. This kind of situation
might be due to the changes taking place in Indian agriculture (Tablel3.2). A decrease in
permanent pasture land certainly indicates the decreased role of sheep if the present system of
extensive rearing has to be continued. However, improved meat production from sheep and
goat is possible by taking advantage of the increased crop production through adoption of semiintensive
rearing. In the case of sheep, percentage of total food to dam is 72 against 28 per cent
to progeny. This indicates a differential system of rearing which may be more economical. The
dam may be maintained mostly on grazing while the post-weaned lambs may be reared under
semi- intensive or even under intensive system if the economics of such a system permits.
Large areas of arid zones are being utilised for sheep and goat farming and mostly
marginal and landless labourers live on these enterprises. Besides the domestic need, there
exists a vast potential of export of live animals as well as meat from sheep and goat to Gulf
countries, having proximity to these countries, and established preference for Indian carcasses
by virtue of their leanness. Hence, economic efficieney, adaptability and social acceptability of
different livestock enterprises have to be evaluated for assessing the future production potential
of different livestock enterprises and tar geting of meat production.
Table 13.2 Some changes in Indian agriculture (1975-85)
Itern of change % change
Irrigation + I8.19
Amble land + 0.68
Pernlanent pasture - 6.67
Cereals-area + 4.04
yield (kg/ha) + 23.71
production + 28.77
13.2 Components of meat production
13. 2.1 Prolificacy
Sheep in India, and other parts of tropics in the world breed throughout the year, but are
seasonal breeders in most areas of the United states, and sub tropical and temperate areas the
breeding season is in the fall. Some breeds, such as the Merino and Dorset Horn, may be bred
under some conditions to produce two lamb crops per year. Most breeds produce just one crop
per year, although rams produce sperm throughout the year. Some rams are suceptible to high
summer temperatures, and may be infertile or of low fertility in late summer during the first
part of the breeding season.
The number of lambs raised per ewe is one of the most important factors deter nining the
efficiency of production. Lamb production varies a great deal under different conditions and
with different breeds. Ewes under farm conditions are usually more prolific than those
produced on the range. This is probably due to a higher level of nutrition generally found
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