Un panorama internacional
de la selecion y de las razas caprinas en el mundo
Jean-Paul Dubeuf*, Jean Boyazoglu**
INRA –SAD; F- 20231
SAN GIULIANO
Aristotle University ;
Gr – 54124 THESSALONIKI - jean.boyazoglu@wanadoo.fr
Resumen – La preservación de la biodiversidad
de las razas animales es una necesidad de cara a mantener la capacidad de la producción animal
para adaptarse a los futuros cambios en las ganaderías y en los sistemas de
manejo. La disminución del número de razas animales es
una realidad, que puede observarse tanto para los ovinos y los bovinos como
para las cabras, relacionada con la standardización e intensificación de los
sistemas de producción.
Las
cabras están muy influenciadas por esta situación ya que es la especie animal que ha más
aumentado su cabaña, en los últimos 20 años. La observación de la situación del
ganado caprino en el mundo muestra une realidad contradictoria. Por una parte
sectores pequeños, pero especializados y bien
organizados, existen en algunos pocos países dedicados a la producción
de leche y quesos, carne y fibras. Por otra parte, la mayoría de las cabras en
el mundo son utilizadas para el autoconsumo de sus productos, en pequeños
rebaños de áreas rurales. Las
características genéticas de las cabras son consecuencia directa de este hecho
ya que se da una selección bien estructurada en un pequeño número de razas caracterizadas y especializadas para la
leche, la carne o la piel y las fibras y una mayoría de poblaciones y razas
locales, que no están siempre bien definidas y que no tienen esquema de selección estructurado.
Después
de una presentación global de los principales troncos y razas de cabras en el mundo, consideramos
particularmente las condiciones financieras y logísticas necesarias para
propiciar de manera efectiva la realización de un proyecto sostenible de mejora
genética. Teniendo en cuenta que, en muchos casos, estas condiciones no se cumplen,
la exposición concluye con algunas propuestas para controlar mejor la
probabilidad de éxito y expresar mejor las potencialidades genéticas de
esta interesante especie.
Palabras llaves: razas caprinas; mejora
genética; selección animal; desarrollo; organización
An International Panorama of goat selection and breeds
Jean-Paul Dubeuf* , Jean Boyazoglu**
INRA
–SAD; F- 20231 SAN GIULIANO; dubeuf2@wanadoo.fr
Aristotle University ; Gr –
54124 THESSALONIKI; jean.boyazoglu@wanadoo.fr
Summary
– The
preservation of the biodiversity of animal breeds is an important condition to
maintain the ability of animal production to adapt to the changing conditions of breeding
and production systems in the future. The decrease of the number of animal
breeds has been observed both for sheep, cattle and goats in relation with
the standardisation and intensification of animal production systems.
Goats are mainly concerned by
the situation as they have the biggest increase in livestock numbers in 20 years. A global overlook
of goats worldwide is showing a contradictory situation
: on one hand small but well organised sectors have developed in a few countries
for milk and cheese, meat and fibre production. On the other hand, most of
the goats are mostly still used for autoconsumption
of milk meat and skin or fibres in village herds. The present goat genetic
situation is the direct consequence of this evolution with the high specialisation
of a small number of selected and well characterised breeds for milk, meat
and fibres and a majority of not well
defined populations and local breeds, generally without selection schemes
and organisation.
A global panorama of the main
families and breeds is presented. A special consideration is then pointed on
the necessary financial and logistic conditions to achieve successively these
selection objectives. After having observed that in many
cases these conditions are not present, this report concludes by some proposals
to control better the possibilities of success and express with more efficiency
the genetic potentiality of this interesting species.
Key
words : goat breeds; genetics; selection; development; breeders organisation
Introduction
This communication is the
introduction to the International Goat Association meeting on “local goat
genotypes and their utilisation in management systems as means of
conservation”. This subject has a special and strategic importance. FAO (2000) has
estimated that the preservation of the animal breeds is a major stake for the
world biodiversity. Among the 6379 identified animal
breeds from 30 species of mammals and birds, we have data for 4183 of which 740
have already disappeared and 1335 (40%) are threatened. In 1995, 35% of animal
breeds have been considered in danger of extinction (25% previously). 400
breeds, only, are involved in selection programs. Besides, the preservation of
local livestock genotypes is of major importance as is the conservation of
endemic plants in the range lands and marginal lands. (Hoffmann, 2004).
Meanwhile, we discern, thanks to a
always larger access to global though contradictory information, that the world
is facing always more and more dramatic changes of which we identify hardly the
dynamics. Nevertheless, we also become more and more aware that these changes
will soon have important consequences on our daily life; in the demographic,
economic, cultural or environmental aspects.
The situation and
the role of goats are not independent of these introduction considerations. We
will see what is the true significance of the present increase of the world
goat population, what is the real situation of the selection of goat breeds and
in what sense it is clearly related with the global world situation.
From this analysis,
we can suggest some orientations for a more efficient governance of the goat
livestock and their impact on the human welfare.
The growing goat species
population and the role of goats in the society
A domesticated animal since the dawn of civilisation
If the site of Ganj Darech (Iran of today) is
the homelands of one of the first types
of wild goats, the goat has been one of first
domesticated animals with first evidence as early as about 8000 BC in the
Fertile Crescent. Goats were used for meat and milk at least 2500 BC in the
Middle East and there is evidence of their domestication both in the Indus
Valley, in China and probably in MesoAmerica. (Hatziminaoglou and Boyazoglu, 2003).
Domestication and breeding animals is a characteristic of civilisation and
goats are clearly associated with this concept and their destiny with the fate
of mankind. Goats played a great role in the ancient Egyptian, Chinese,
Mongolian, Greek, Hebrew or Russian mythology. In India, the word “goats” means
the unknown primary substance of the living world (Hatziminaoglou
and Boyazoglu, 2004, Boyazoglu
and al., 2005).
From these
first traditional populations, goats disseminated all over the world with a
large diversity of phenotypes and differentiation related to their utilisation
by human consumers as described in the Mediterranean by Lauvergne
(1988) :
-
high/small size,
-
short/long ears,
-
screw/vertical/sabre horns,
-
spotted/speckled/black-white/piebald
skin,
-
short/long hair,
-
…,
A changing and diversified role in the society,
Goat's milk and meat from
young or adult animals has been consumed for thousands of years. The skins of
goats were used in many ways, for the wrapping of the dead, parchment making
(Egypt), as well as the making of clothes. Goat skin became the standard bottle
to transport liquids (in countries where this had to be carried for long
distances and in great heat. Goats were well adapted to harsh or dry conditions
where cattle or sheep could not survive and were often carried on ships as a
source of fresh milk by the early explorers to the New World or in Oceania. The
Angora breed, known in the Middle –East since the time of Moses was introduced
in Europe by the Emperor Charles V. In the 18th century, the first definite
breeds were differentiated from the initial Asian, African or European
populations with a beginning of specialisation for milk (Alpine, Pyrenean
breeds) (Boyazoglu et al., 2005).
Often considered as
marginal animals for subsistence of poor people, goats were often seen as
damageable for forests and grazing; they were banned in many regions. Meanwhile
in developed countries, and firstly in France an increasing interest for its
dairy potential led to the creation of a specific dairy goat sector with an
organisation for selection, processing and commercialisation. After May 1968,
in Europe, the goat has symbolised (perhaps abusively and contradictory)
ecological agriculture, diversification and high quality (Repères,
Market Research and Opinion, 2001; Boyazoglu et al.,
2005) but if most of the world
population has access to goat milk, less than 5% of the total milk
produced is marketed and the meat sector
is very little organised while the fibre goat sector (Angora mohair wool and
Cashmere hair) is more speculative (Dubeuf., et al., 2004).
In spite of these
changes, the capital role and potentialities of goats was underestimated.
Nevertheless, mainly thanks to the crucial role of the International Goat
Association (IGA), goats are no more
only synonymous of underdevelopment and poverty. Without much financial
means, the previously little considered scientific research on goats has been
promoted and reached evident academic standards. The creation of Small Ruminant
Research and its promotion by IGA, now
known as a major scientific journal, has been of major importance. The
organisation of an International Conference on Goats, each 4 years, also with
the support of the IGA, has also contributed to the recognition of scientific
studies on goats including works on selection, breeding and reproduction
control (Boyazoglu et al., 2005).
But these positive
changes do not hide the fact that the role of goats for rural development is
still underestimated and misunderstood by the policy makers or heads of international
organisations and sometime even by NGOs.
The goat, an actual indicator of the splitting up of the
world
The statistics and the livestock
census are clear : the world goat population has increased 66 % during the last
20 years as compared to only 9% for cattle (table 1). By comparing these data
with previous ones (Boyazoglu et al, 2003), we have
observed an acceleration of this tendency during the five past years. What is
the true significance of such an evolution? Does it mean that the goats are no
more only “the cows of the poor” and why is this?
Our opinion could be
considered a little bit iconoclast by indicating that growth does not mean
necessarily development. In most of the continents and particularly in Asia and
Africa, the gap between the richer and poor people has deepened and more and more people are living with
scarce means and under the threshold of poverty. Recent data have estimated
that more that 1 billion people are living in shantytowns without any water or
power. The limits between the town and country sides have disappeared and more
and more people are now surviving in megapolis by
cultivating their own garden or breeding small animals like poultry or goats.
In these conditions we easily observe the relation between this situation and
the growth of goat population. When dynamics of the dairy goat sector is developing
with slowly growing numbers in developped countries,
an uncontrolled goat population is growing all over the world for the
subsistence of an always faster growing poor population. The world is facing
new and dramatic stakes : demography of course but also access to clean water,
environmental problems, crisis of energy, etc.. Once again, the destiny of
goats is related with the future of our civilisation. How this goat population
could contribute to the future welfare of humankind?
THE GOAT BREEDS AND POPULATIONS
in relation TO the situation of
selection schemes.
A majority of local
uncharacterised populations and unselected local breeds
Although there are few references
on goat breeds, and although many goat populations are not clearly charactherised, 136 breeds were identified in a rather
complete directory (Gall, 1996). From this overview, it appears that the goat
breeds in temperate climates, are exceeding most others in levels of
productivity, especially in milk and dairy products.
Most of the goat populations belong
to non defined groups deriving from Asian European or African initial livestock
as it has been shown for the Mediterranean (Lauvergne,
1988); used for local consumption with few economic implications, they belong
to what we call traditional local and generally multipurposes
populations! Besides, few of the identified breeds are involved in true
selection schemes!
The information on the traditional
breeds and their caractheristics are rather scarce : For
instance, the French “Chevre du Rove” has not been
identified under this name before 1973 and has been really defined in 1979 when
an independent herd book has been created independently from the Provencale goat; the first testimonies of the Corsican goat
have been discovered in the VIth Millenary
BC and this breed has been few crossed with other populations (except the
introduction of Maltese and Alpine goats) but it has been officially recognised
as a breed only few years ago. There was the same situation in Sardinia with
the introduction of Maltese goats and politics to define the Sarda goat breed is not yet clearly decided. In Southern
Italy (Basilicate, Sicily, Calabria),
the traditional populations are predominant, 1/5 of the livestock belonging to
the Girgentina, Garganic,
Ionic or Maltese breeds (Lauvergne, 1988).
Goat selection is nearly
limited to dairy breeds and in developed countries
Initially most of the goat populations
were selected empirically. In Bulgaria, the Balkan goats have been selected for
their long dark hairand used for raw fibres. In the Middle-East, the
traditionnal local (baladi) goats have been selected for milk and meat to
resist the periods of water shortages. The present boer goat is derived from
the African populations of Namaqua hottentots; in the early 1900’s, the ranches
started to selecte a meat type with infusion of Indian and European blood.
(Casey et al., 1988). The Angora goats, have been denominated in the Vth century
BC; originary from the region of Angora (today Ankara), they have been selected
for their long white fleece. This breed, has been the first goat breed exported
worldwide thanks to an autorisation of
the Sultan in 1820.
Goat selection
is directly related to the economically significant and organised sectors;
thus, the western dairy sectors and the few sectors involved in the meat trade
(eg. South Africa, USA and Australia).
IGA has
published recently (2004) a directory of goat organisations around the world. A
previous individual unpublished initiative has identified 1028 goat related
societies mainly in Anglo Saxon and developed countries (Berger, 2001).
Information on organisations involved in genetic improvement are hard to get
and few of them have been identified.
Most of them are located in developed countries and dedicated to milk
production (table 4). The main breeding programmes are in France for Saanen and Alpine, in Spain where earlier selection schemes
have been organised for the Murciana Granadina, Malagueña or Majorera breeds,
and more recently on other local breeds or in the USA with the Anglo Nubian
breed. In Italy, the selection on local breeds does not involve many breeders
and heads and dedicated mainly to research Centres
and Universities (Rubino, personal communication) .
In the USA, the selection of the Anglo Nubian breed has developed for milk and
the Boer goat for meat in Southern Africa. The development of selection schemes
begins to develop significantly in China mainly for the Boer goat.
There are many
associations and projects dedicated to the conservation of local breeds but a
small number of animals and breeders are generally involved. In a publication
on the “Analysis and definition of the objectives in genetic improvement
programmes in sheep and goats in the Mediterranean” (Gabiña, 2000),
only five of 18 papers were dedicated to goat selection. In Croatia, for
instance, no much attention was given to the improvement of the local goat. A
breeding program for milking goats has been developed, by incorporating pure or
crossed Alpine and Saanen to Balkan local populations
but the number of goats recorded was less than 8000 (Mikulec
et al. , 2000).
The difficulty to organise
recording in goats.
In
several Southern countries, many projects of genetic improvement have been
developed under the western European intensive model and by incorporating
selected more productive goat breeds. We can consider though that most of them
have been failures and unstainable. The first reasons
were the lack of mid and long term financial support and the fact that these
means and projects were not suited to the real needs (Dubeuf, 2005). Can we
agree, without reservation, with Haenlein (1997)
commenting the Gall directory and
maintaining that there is a great deal of interest introducing new more
productive goat breeds for cross breeding? The experience has shown that the
decision of crossbreeding will depend on the objectives of the breeders and
their management ability to accept them.
In many
cases, the production systems are more often extensive or based on range lands.
These production systems have rendered performance recording very difficult to
carry out except for a reduced number of experimental flocks like in Tunisia (Rekik et al., 2000). The introduction of pure exotic breeds
if considered, needs to be strictly restricted to the very intensive systems
and the cross breeding alternative should be regarded only as “one step” of a
fully organised production systems in the case of milk improvement for a
specific market or objective. In many cases the local goats need to be improved
in the difficult areas because of their adaptability to the local conditions (Rekik et al., 2000). The comments are in agreement with the
position of FAO (2005) considering that the major threat for the diversity of
animal breeds is the export of very productive but not adapted to local
conditions animals from developed countries to developing countries and the
crossing with local breeds; these populations losing often the characteristics of adaptability.
PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE AND
CONCLUSIONS
In the next 20 years, the total
production of meat and milk will have to double (FAO, 2004). The auto sufficiency
of populations of most of the continents is necessary both for social, economic
and environmental reasons. The goats have increased so much in number because
they are adapted to these conditions not because they are “the more productive
and profitable species”. The solution will not be always more exports from
countries with high technology towards the more underdeveloped countries. Such
a scenario would not be sustainable on the long run although is seems to be
always the dominant model for most of the deciders!
Priorities have to
be inverted. An important work of communication has to be initiated to promote
the real benefit of goats for the rural population in an always more
overcrowded and divided world. The interests of the goat keepers in developed
countries (although often smaller farmers) are not necessarily those of the
other continents and the projects of cooperation can
no more be built only for the benefits of the first (exporting genetics). In
many countries, the public services have been nearly destroyed for more than 10
years because of the bankruptcy of the finances and corruption in many states.
In many cases, the extension services are no more financed, the extension
agents or the teachers, like other public officers are no more paid regularly
and they work without any formal instruction. The future is burdened with this
situation when very simple and not expensive solutions could have a very good
impact.
The necessary
proposals are probably more social and
political than technical or scientific! A real financial and human effort has
to be initiated by teaching the rural populations to improve the control and
organisation of animal production by and for the breeders. UNESCO and other
United Nations Organisations insist on the priority for education of new
generations. This has to be applied to hygiene, health control and management
of animal production, even in isolated villages and populations. A
generalised selection and sanitary
control within the flocks and improved nutrition, would be more useful than
most of money spending and sophisticated breeding programmes to sustain
breeding in conditions where recording of the animals is problematic. More
effort has to be dedicated to previous but practical evaluation of the needs of
the projects.
These proposals are
not in opposition with the present selection programmes on milk and meat
production that have to be still improved but it will be important for the
future not to be misled and confused in relation to the objectives and means in
which to invest.
These considerations can be seen as too much
general and not easy to apply. It is true that much effort and communication
will be required to resist the short term pressure of the lobbies of the
genetic sector. The goats could possibly become “the cows of the future” if we
are able to take up this important challenge for rural development.
|
|
2005
|
Index (%)
|
1985
|
Index (%)
|
Europe
Western Europe
Eastern Europe
|
17,8
11,6
2,8
|
138 (2,2)
|
10,7
2,2
|
100
(2,65)-
|
|
Middle East
|
519,6
221,1
|
|
282,4
149,4
|
100
(58,2)
|
America
Northern
A.
Central A.
Southern A.
|
33,7
2,5
9,1
22,1
|
104 (4,2)
|
32,1
1,6
11,1
19,4
|
100 (6,6)
|
Africa
|
232,9
|
157
(28,7)
|
147,9
|
100
(30,4)
|
Oceania
|
0,87
|
79
(0,011)
|
1,1
|
100
(0,22)
|
WORLD
|
808,9
|
166
|
485,1
|
100
|
|
World cattle livestock
|
|
109
|
1258
|
100
|
Source :
FAOSTAT (2006)
|
|
2005
|
|
1985
|
|
|
|
Goat
cheese
|
Goat milk
|
Goat
cheese
|
Goat milk
|
Europe
|
180
|
2,5
|
132
|
1,7
|
|
|
|
|
113,7
149,4
|
4,1
|
America
Northern
Central A.
Southern A.
|
17,8
13,8
4
|
0,37
0,19
0,18
|
33,96
30,06
3,9
|
0,48
0,16
|
Africa
|
122
|
2,8
|
35
|
1,8
|
WORLD
|
437,8
|
12,4
|
343,32
|
8,4
|
Source :
FAOSTAT (2006)
|
|
2005
|
1985
|
Europe
|
0,12
|
0,09
|
|
|
|
|
|
Southern America
|
0,83
|
|
Africa
|
0,86
|
0,53
|
Oceania
|
0,02
|
|
WORLD
|
4,05
|
2,05
|
Source :
FAOSTAT (2006)
|
|
Organisations
|
Breeds
involved
|
Milk,
Meat
|
Europe
France
Spain
Cyprus
|
Caprigène, Capri IA,
Acrimur, others Breed Associations
Ministry of Agriculture
|
Alpine, Saanen, Corse, Rove
Murciana,
, Malagueña, Majorejera,
Palmera,
Damascus
|
Milk
Milk/Meat
Milk
|
|
Canada
Brasil
|
|
|
|
|
Asia
China
Israël
|
Guinzhou /Hubeir
Sheep and goat breeders Association
|
|
|
Africa
South Africa
|
The Boer
Goat Breeders Association of SA
Stud book
Association of SA and SA Angora goat stud breeders Association
Mohair
growers Association
|
Boer goat
Angora breed
Mohair
|
Meat
Fibre
Fibre
|
Oceania
Australia
|
Boer Goat
breeders Association of Australia
Australian
Cashmere goat society
Angora
breed society of Australia
|
Boer goat
Angora breed
|
Meat
Fibre
Fibre
|
Source : IGA (2004),
Berger (2001)
|
|
2005
|
Breeds
involved
|
Europe
France
Spain
Italy
Suisse
United Kingdom
|
Caprigène, Capri IA, Associations
asociasiones
Association of Rare breeds, Reasearch centrres
Service consultatif fédéral des petits ruminants
Many breeders Association
|
Rove, Provencale,
Pyrénéenne, Corse
Payoya, Florida,…
Local breeds
Races suisses (alpine, Saanen, valaisane, etc…)
Many
goats for leasure purpose
|
|
|
|
|
|
Asia
China
|
Nanjan Huang breed
|
|
|
Oceania
New
Zealand
|
Rare breeds conservation society of New
Zealand
|
|
Source :
IGA (2004), Berger, (2001)
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