The domestic livestock resources of Turkey: Economic and social role, species and breeds, conservation measures and policy issues

Turkey covers an area of almost 784 000 square kilometres and has a very varied ecological and climatic environment. There are some 4 million agricultural enterprises of which almost all are mixed crop-livestock operations and about two-thirds are smaller than 5 hectares in size. The country has one of the largest livestock populations in the world and due to its long and chequered history Turkey is a major repository of domestic livestock species and breeds. There has, however, been a steady decline in numbers of most livestock species since the middle of the 20th century with the exception of poultry in which species the population has greatly expanded. Output of red meat and milk have increased slightly over the same period due to changes in breed structure and white meat and egg production have been greatly augmented since the introduction of hybrid birds and the industrialization of the subsector. Livestock's contribution to agricultural Gross Domestic Product is about 23 per cent. Government support for livestock varies with species and breed but in general budgetary allocations to the sector have not been commensurate with its contribution to the national economy. Since the mid 1990s conservation programmes, including in situ and ex situ conservation of live animals and cryopreservation of genetic material have been put in place for some indigenous breeds of cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goat and horse. Policies for livestock in the past have varied and have not always been well directed. Future policies should be coherent and holistic with a view to increasing the output of livestock products for a market that will be more demanding than in the past whilst conserving the nation's rich genetic heritage