Project Overview:
For cultural, ecological and socio-economic reasons, small ruminants production is crucial for Central Asia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. However, sustainable production faces numerous constraints.
Obsolete husbandry, feeding and breeding practices used by livestock keepers, inefficient dissemination of knowledge, limited utilization of improved production inputs as well as limited application of research-proven locally adapted production practices are among the most important causes of relatively low production efficiency and high greenhouse gases (GHG) emission intensity in the small ruminants sector.
Equipping development agents with knowledge and skills, with particular attention to involving women and youth, is the most promising approach to improving the efficiency of small ruminants production systems.
The project will provide support to recipient countries to:
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identify gaps and desirable interventions to improve production efficiency and, consequently, to reduce GHG emission intensity;
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improve the capacities of policy-makers, advisory services or alternative knowledge transfer mechanisms and producers’ unions to design and implement sustainable small ruminants production systems targeted at smallholders and family farms;
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equip experts and farmers with knowledge and skills of climate-smart feed production, modern practices for better husbandry, breeding, feeding, better management of pastures and natural resources, and better herd management;
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support the protection and improvement of small ruminants genetic resources through the establishment of a subregional network and technical assistance on better management of small ruminants genetic resources in line with the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources;
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improve sheep grazing practices in a pilot province by employing farmer field schools to improve the capacity of herders to manage pastures and the provision of high-yield sheep and residence units for local sheep breeders;
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empower female livestock keepers by providing highly productive sheep and training on husbandry, breeding, health management, feeding, community development, cooperative management and leadership, social inclusion and gender mainstreaming, and sharing this experience with other communities.
The project will contribute to the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).