Impact of high-yielding foreign breeds on the Spanish dairy sheep industry

Traditionally, Spanish dairy sheep production areas have been closely related to indigenous breeds, which are usually farmed under semi-extensive or extensive production systems. But their lower yields have led to the introduction of specialised breeds from abroad. Breed introgression varies according to the zone: while local breeds have been substituted by Assaf in Castilla-Leon, Latxa and Manchega are still the predominant breeds in their respective locations. Higher-yielding foreign breeds are an important option for farmers who want to rapidly increase flock milk yield. However, the way they have been introduced in Spain (disorganised, and no technical support) has not contributed to achieving the expected yields. Moreover, contrary to the current situation of local breeds, there is no national breeding scheme for any of the foreign breeds (only some groups of Assaf breeders are trying to organise their own breeding scheme). In some areas, the existence of Quality Labels or Appellations of Origin for cheeses and lambs linked to local breeds have also limited the introduction of foreign genotypes. The role that local breeds play in the maintenance of the human population and economic activity in less favoured areas and the ecological importance of their traditional production systems are key factors. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.