Tim Keady and Brid McClearn, Teagasc, recently had the opportunity to visit Turkey as national coordinator and project manager of the EuroSheep project.
Eurosheep is an EU funded project with the aim of exchanging knowledge and experience to improve sheep nutrition, health and management, thus flock profitability. EuroSheep involves the 6 main EU sheep producing countries (Ireland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Spain) and Turkey and the UK. Delegates from each of these countries were present.
Turkey – at the cross roads
Turkey is one of the major agricultural economies in the world. Geographically, Turkey is at one of the most important crossroads in the world linking Europe and Asia, and the Black and Mediterranean seas via the Bosphorus Strait. Turkey is an important producer of agricultural commodities. Globally they are a major producer of fruit (e.g. apricots, cherries, strawberries), vegetables (e.g. leeks, cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, spinach), nuts, figs, grapes, tobacco, wheat, barley, sugar beet and milk.
Sheep production is also an important farm enterprise. In the last 10 years, the Turkish national flock size has increased by 90%. Currently there are 30 million ewes in Turkey. Mean flock size is 85. In Turkey sheep account for 25% and 5% of domestic meat and milk production, respectively. Whilst little is spoken about Turkish sheep production, it needs to be put into context. Turkey has almost 5 million more breeding females than New Zealand, which is the second largest sheep meat exporter in the world.
Ninty percent of Turkish sheep are used for meat production. In the most important sheep producing regions, lambs are slaughtered at between 50 and 55kg. Turkey produce 0.39 million tonnes of sheep meat annually, Ireland produces 65 thousand tonnes. The domestic market in Turkey is important for sheep meat, the mean consumption being 4.2 kg per person. The highest sheep meat demand is during the annual Eid Al Adha-feast. The main export markets for Turkish sheep meat, both live and in carcass form, are United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Dubai, Iraq and Syria.
There are challenges to improving efficiency and expansion of sheep production, many of which are similar to other countries. These challenges include organisation, marketing and commercialisation problems, barriers to technology acceptance, lack of technical support to producers, increased input costs, climate change and drought in recent years, etc. Should these barriers to improving efficiency within the sheep sector be addressed Turkey would be a dominant nation in sheep production.
Systems of production
Whilst most sheep are managed in extensive and shepherded production systems, very intensive systems also are present. In extensive shepherded systems ewes lamb once annually, normally indoors, and are grazed extensively in a low input system. The flocks are accompanied by their shepherd 24 hours daily as they roam the rangelands grazing. There is little fencing, or confinement in Turkish grasslands.
In dairy sheep production, ewes are milked for approximately 4 months with manual milking been predominant. Mean lactation yield is approximately 90 kg and the vast majority of the milk is processed into cheese at farm level. Turkey produces over 200 types of cheese and the mean consumption is 8.8kg per person annually. While the majority of sheep milk is used to make cheese (90%), yoghurt and Ayran (yoghurt drink) are also popular.
Breeds of sheep
Sheep breeds in Turkey are different to the breeds present in Ireland. The majority of meat sheep are fat-tailed local breeds with Akkaraman being the most popular. Awassi and Chios are the main breeds used for milk production.
Dairy farm visit
The farm that we visited was an intensive indoor dairy system south of Bursa. The farm was 7.5 hectares, employs 4 people and the ewes are housed full-time. This farm was established in 2019 with the purchase of 250 Lacaune ewes and 250 replacements from France. Today there are 750 ewes on the farm. As the ewes are housed fulltime there is no grazing. During breeding ewes are synchronised and natural mating is practiced as previously pregnancy rate to AI was lower than desired.
Sheep lamb throughout the year thus resulting in a consistent supply of milk, which is sold on contract to a cheese manufacturer. Following lambing, lambs are EID tagged and removed from their dam to an artificial rearing unit. Lambs receive colostrum for three days and are then trained to an automatic milk feeder.
The EID facilitates selection of replacements, automatic concentrate feeding in the parlour and milk recording. The ewes are milked twice daily in a 40 unit milking parlour. Mean lactation yield is 380 litres/ewe.
All feed is purchased, including alfalfa and grass hay, and concentrate. The ewes are divided into two groups namely early-to-mid lactation and late lactation and pregnancy. The diets are offered daily by automatic feed dispensers.
Meat farm visit
The meat sheep farm we visited was an intensive indoor system which was established in 2016. The flock consisted of 700 ewes and 250 replacements, mainly Karacabey Merino and Ile de France. Four people were employed on the farm.
Ewes are joined with rams at 12 months and lamb 3 times every 2 years. All ewes lamb indoors. Mean number of lambs reared per ewe lambing is 1.8.
The ewes are offered diets containing alfalfa, grass hay, barley, and maize silage. The proportion of these ingredients in the diet varies depending on whether the ewes are lactating, dry or in mid to late pregnancy. Diets are mixed in a TMR wagon and distributed throughout the sheds by automatic conveyor belt feeders.
Weaning occurred at approximately 2 months. Following weaning the lambs were offered concentrate ad libitum and hay until slaughter. Lambs are slaughtered at 4 months at a liveweight of 50 to 52 kg achieving a kill out percentage of 53% and carcass weight of 27 kg.
Conclusions
Turkey has a major agriculture economy.
There are more ewes in Turkey than New Zealand
Whilst extensive shepherd systems are most common very intensive housed systems exist
Should Turkey resolve a number of constraints to their industry, they will be a major player in sheep production with many markets available nearby.
More information on Eurosheep, solutions and ‘tips and tricks’ for sheep stakeholders is available on eurosheep.network
The Irish Eurosheep delegation to Turkey
The Irish Eurosheep delegation to Turkey; Tim Keady, Brid McClearn, Seamus Fagan, Alan Bohan, Dennis Brennan, Damian Costello, Ciaran Moran and Simon Byrne.
Source: Agriculture and Food Department Authority