The goat sector of Turkey includes diverse systems. The coastal Mediterranean region has similar systems to those of other Mediterranean countries. Goat farming is preferred by poor livestock farmers, but has been disadvantaged compared with other livestock sectors. Turkey’s goat population was very high in the 1960s, but then decreased rapidly.
Trends in the goat population of Turkey are shown in Figure 1.
FIGURE 1. TRENDS IN THE ANGORA AND HAIR GOAT POPULATIONS OF TURKEY
This rapid decrease resulted from many factors, including migration to urban areas from rural regions, young rural people’s lack of interest in livestock production, the low incomes generated from goat production, and the reduced importance of goat and natural animal fibers in the modern textile sector following the introduction of synthetic fibers. Turk-ish Angora goat breeders have not adapted to changes in marketing conditions and the modern breeding sector and had stopped breeding Angora goats, but this trend started to reverse about five years ago. The goat sector in Turkey can be divided into five
catego-151 ries: extensive, semi-intensive, intensive, nomadic, and mixed sheep and goat systems.
Extensive systems
Extensive goat systems are very common in Turkey, with herds ranging from 50 to 500 heads. Goat breeders have low economic status and do not use supplementary mixed feed in harsh winter and environmental conditions. The feeding system is generally based on spring and summer grazing. There is insufficient application of animal health protection and preventive medicine. Housing systems are very poor, and goat sheds in extensive systems are based on traditional models with insufficient ventilation and lighting. The main income of goat breeders in the extensive system comes from the sale of kids, meat and goat cheese. In the past, goat farmers produced handmade blankets and clothing. Farmers with herds of more than 300 heads can hire shepherds, but, generally, they use household members to manage their goat herds.
Semi-intensive systems
Semi-intensive systems are more developed and implement better management than extensive systems. Semi-intensive goat breeders and farmers use some modern feeds, housing and management systems. They use good-quality bucks for breeding and sup-plementary concentrate feeds in winter; basic selection methods are applied on their farms. These farmers process their goat milk in small-scale cheese units, and attend to animal diseases and health issues. They have permanent shepherds to manage their goat herds. Some semi-intensive farms use controlled mating methods and limited animal registration systems. Semi-intensive goat farms are concentrated in the west of Turkey, but there are also some in southeast Anatolia and the east Mediterranean region.
Intensive systems
These goat farms generally use modern breeding and housing systems and animal health and veterinary services. They also have full animal registration systems and use software programs. Their housing is modern and well ventilated, with fully or semi-mechanized feeding systems. They have modern facilities for processing goat milk and producing cheese, with automated milking systems. Intensive goat farms use the services of pro-fessional veterinarian and animal breeding experts (zootechnicians). Their herds often exceed 1 000 heads. Intensive goat farmers take animal welfare into account and de-sign their barns according to animals’ ages and sexes and other technical issues. Their feeding system is fully controlled and they do not use free grazing for their goats, but reserve areas of pasture for goat bedding, etc. They use modern selection and mating systems and try to improve their animals’ yield characteristics for milk or meat.
Over the last decade, investments from the private sector have increased, especially in western Turkey. Consumers’ high demand for goat products is motivating the private sector to invest in modern goat farms and goat milk products.
Nomadic and transhumance systems
Nomadic and transhumance systems are very popular in the Mediterranean and east Anatolian regions of Turkey. However, the increasing adoption of modern production systems has resulted in declines in the nomadic system, while transhumance is also being replaced by sedentary systems. These two systems are very traditional, with each family member having an active role in goat and sheep management. Animal health and feeding systems are very primitive, and the economic and social situations of these farmers are very poor. They process milk into cheeses under unhygienic conditions using traditional methods and selling the cheese directly at local markets or to local traders.
Traditional cultural heritage is important in both systems, and farmers try to maintain ancient immigration routes and cultural values. The Karakeçili, Sarikeçili, Akkoyunlu and Dulkadir nomadic tribes are highly regarded in Turkey.
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Mixed sheep and goat systems
Turkey has approximately 3 million livestock farms, of which 95 percent are sheep and goat farms. Mixed farms are concentrated in central, east and southeast Anatolia. Ex-tensive sheep farmers find it easy to control and manage goats while their sheep graze, and keep goats to provide their family with money, meat and milk products.
Angora goat production in Turkey
Angora goats are a native breed that is perfectly adapted to the steppe conditions of central Anatolia (Orkiz, 1980). They are raised mainly for mohair production, to provide raw material for the textile industry. Angora goats are an important source not only of cash income for farmers through sales of their mohair and meat (or of the animals themselves), but also of meat and milk, providing high-quality protein for rural people (Hunter, 1987). The name “Angora” originated from the ancient name of Ankara, which is located in central Anatolia and has been the capital of Turkey since 1930 (Yalçin, 1986). Angora goat farms are located mainly in the lowland areas of central Anatolia, but a few are in southeastern provinces. South Africa, Turkey and the United States of America are among the world’s leading countries for Angora goat breeding (Gunes et al., 2002; Van der Westhuysen, 2005).
Angora goat farms are relatively insensitive to external factors such as the globaliza-tion of state economies and regional marketing condiglobaliza-tions. Comparing Turkish Angora goats with North American and South African goats provides valuable information for improving the mohair production of Turkish goats (Morand-Fehr and Boyazoglu, 1999).
Data from TURKSTAT (2014) indicate that over the last 20 years the number of Angora goats in Turkey has decreased by almost 89 percent (Figure 2).
FIGURE 2. TREND IN THE ANGORA GOAT POPULATION OF TURKEY
This decreasing trend is related mainly to socio-economic and political factors, such as migration from rural areas, reduced income from mohair production compared with milk and meat production, insufficient support for Angora goat breeders and restrictions on goat rearing close to woodland areas.
Goat products
Although the demand for any product depends on the income of its consumers, the demand of Turkish consumers for goat products is similar to that of consumers in oth-er developed countries. Modoth-ern intensive goat farms produce high-quality goat milk
153 products such as cheeses, ice creams and yoghurt, while small-scale goat farms also
produce milk processed into local products. Important local goat products include:
• milk;
• labne (mild cream cheese);
• local cheeses;
• tulum cheese (a very sharp and salty cheese wrapped in goatskin);
• Hellim cheese;
• Maraş ice cream;
• Siirt blankets (produced from the mohair of Angora goats);
• carpets;
• mohair traditional socks;
• soap;
• Büryan goat meat kebab.
Photo 1: Maraş ice cream; Photo 2: Siirt blanket (produced from the mohair of Angora goats); Photo3:
Büryan goat meat kebab; Photo 4: Büryan goat meat kebab; Photos 5 and 6: Goat cheeses; Photo 7:
Tulum cheese (source: Anonymous, 2013)
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