Review of Sudan’s Sheep Production: Limitations and Prospects

Abstract

Sudan is home to a large population of indigenous livestock breeds and represents a major source of meat suppliers to the Arab world. Indigenous sheep are critical for the subsistence, economy, and social well-being of large people in Sudan. They have acquired unique features regarding adaptation to the local environmental conditions. Domestic and wild sheep farming in Sudan is covered in this chapter, with a focus on its production systems, production challenges, and production potential. The results indicated that the majority of livestock species including sheep are produced in Kordofan and Darfur States. Two different production systems are used for producing sheep: The conventional low-input production system in remote areas and the modern or semi-intensive production system close to the major cities. The physical characteristics, tribal ownership, or geographic and ecological distribution are used to classify Sudanese sheep. However, Desert sheep types are the most common native sheep populations in Sudan, and they are a significant source of mutton production for both domestic and export markets. Conventional sheep farming systems typically encounter a number of production issues, such as inadequate feed, the prevalence of diseases, and a lack of transportation networks connecting the production and consuming regions. Additionally, structured breeding programs are not available for rural smallholder sheep farmers. These difficulties are probably going to reduce the sustainable production of sheep, their economic value to the country, and their ability to be used to their maximum potential.