The adoption of technical and organizational innovations and their impact on the dairy sheep breeding in Tunisia

The adoption of technical and organizational innovations and their impact on the dairy sheep breeding in Tunisia

New Medit, vol 8, n. 3, (September 2009), pp. 36-40

 

Language: EN
Jel classification: Q120, Q160

 

In Tunisia, the size of the dairy Sicilo-Sarde sheep population has decreased by 90%. Its productivity has stagnated at around 70 litres/ewe/lactation over the last decade. The milk production is totally used for cheese making. The objective of this work is to identify the innovations adoption and their impacts on flock performance. Two types of innovations are considered: technical innovations (food supplementation, early weaning and crossing with Sardinian breed) and organizational innovations (membership in breeders’ associations). The adopted methodology is based on an exhaustive survey. Two milk production levels were selected for the analysis: a class 1 (production level > 70 litres/ewe/lactation) and a class 2 (production level 70liters/ewe/lactation). The results show that, whatever the milk production level, the innovation adoption rates of food supplementation and early weaning are still low, but they remain higher in class 1. The same conclusion is true for the organizational innovation which seems to slightly improve the flock performance. The farmers membership to the breeders’ association allowed an increase in the milk price and reduced the monopoly imposed on the sector.

 

dairy sheep, technical innovation, organizational innovation, Tunisia

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