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The FAO-CIHEAM Inter-Regional Cooperative Research and Development Network on
Sheep and Goats, founded in 1979, aims at improving the cooperation amongst
European and Mediterranean experts and at spreading knowledge on specific subjects
related to small ruminants, particularly those which may offer useful applications for
farmers. This network has backed important progress as regards methods applied to
small ruminants, practical applications, laboratory research results and improvement of
the quality of sheep and goat products (cheese, carcass, etc.). It also has an important
mission of spreading technical and scientific information as well as helping technology
transfer.
This publication originated from a meeting of the Sub-Network on Genetic Resources
of the FAO-CIHEAM Inter-Regional Cooperative Research and Development Network
on Sheep and Goats, one of the sub-networks belonging to this network, held in
Sassari, Italy, on 9-11 May 2002. The main objective of the meeting was to present the
scientific, organizational and economic aspects to be taken into account by the
breeding programmes for improving the quality of products. Topics such as QTL
detection, selection for scrapie resistance, selection for nematode resistance, selection
for udder health and udder traits, selection for milk and meat quality, breed change
and alternatives to the use of hormones in sheep and goat breeding programmes were
presented and discussed trough 26 theatre presentations. All these papers gave an
overview of the present situation in breeding for disease resistance in sheep and goats
and in the scientific and technical possibilities to undertake breeding programmes on
milk and meat quality products. After each presentation a few specific questions were
debated and a more general discussion was carried out at the end of the sessions.
Several topics came out through these discussions mainly concerning methods, results
and possible applications in the field.
