Constraints to sustainable sheep farming in Tamil Nadu, India: An ex-post facto analysis

Abstract

Sheep farming is a vital component of the agrarian economy in Tamil Nadu, India, providing essential resources such as meat, wool, skin, and manure. Despite its potential, the sector faces numerous constraints that limit its sustainability and profitability. This study examines the key challenges in sheep farming in Tamil Nadu, identifying technological, infrastructural, marketing, socio-economic, managemental, and environmental factors that hinder productivity. Through a survey of 1,160 sheep farmers across the state's seven agro-climatic zones, the study explores 37 constraints perceived as most limiting to sheep farming. Using Garrett’s Ranking Technique, the study identifies the most pressing issues and calls for targeted interventions to address these challenges. The results highlight significant technological barriers, such as insufficient technical support and limited training programs; infrastructural issues, including inadequate veterinary care and transportation; and marketing challenges, particularly exploitation by middlemen and unscientific price fixation. Socio-economic factors like the high cost of breeding stock and limited land availability intensify these issues, while environmental constraints, including reductions in grazing area, animal disease outbreaks and drought conditions, further threaten the sector's stability. Improved veterinary services, better infrastructure, organized marketing systems, and climate-resilient farming practices are critical to enhancing the sustainability and resilience of sheep farming in Tamil Nadu. The findings provide a foundation for policy recommendations aimed at improving the livelihood of smallholder farmers engaged in sheep rearing.