Abstract :
A study of dairy goat systems was carried out in the “Villuercas-Ibores” region, a mountainous
area located in the south-west of the Iberian Peninsula (Cáceres, Spain). This territory
is characterized by difficult orography and a fairly harsh climate, and has low indices of
income and population density. Goat production in the area has contributed notably to
its economic and social development historically, but there has been a marked recession
in goat-based activities in recent decades, leading to changes in the type and intensity
of land use. The purpose of the study is to analyze the main characteristics of the current
goat farming systems in a zone in which goat milk production is possible under a
Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) brand “Ibores Cheese”, and to establish a farm classification
that will allow groups of holdings with common characteristics to be identified,
so that they can be compared and their performance evaluated. The data were obtained
through direct interviews to goat farmers (n = 61) within the geographical area of the PDO
“Ibores Cheese”. Specific information on management was collected, together with data on
family characteristics, labour, livestock numbers, land use, installations, continuity, recent
changes in farming, and the farmer’s opinions. A principal component analysis (PCA) was
used to examine the relationships among the quantitative variables, then a two-step cluster
analysis was applied using the factors obtained in the PCA and categorical variables. This
resulted in a farm typology of three groups distinguished by their land use, goat breed, and
PDO membership. The best management practices and productivity results were obtained
by the farms furthest removed from the traditional systems. The first group of farms is characterized
by small size flocks. Many of these farms do not belong to the PDO and therefore
they have chosen breeds that are not allowed by the PDO regulations. Most of them are
semi-intensive or intensive farms. The second group consist of extensive farms with large
size flocks of goats complemented with sheep farming and, occasionally, with beef cattle
or Iberian pig. They have got technically suitable milking rooms, although the availability
of other infrastructure is poor. Finally, the third group identified includes extensive farms
whose goat flock size is very similar to that of group 1, but in 70% of the cases they are
mixed farms, mainly combining goat with sheep flocks. Most of them are producing milk
that is sold to firms producing PDO cheese. It is the group closest to the traditional farming
system and the farms have small flocks of low productivity per goat, raising autochthonous
breeds and their crossbreeds.
