The Effect of Plateau and Pasture Prohibitions on Ovine Livestock Activities: The Case of Van

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Geographical factors such as climate and landforms and a number of human factors determine the type and shape of animal husbandry. Due to the geographical conditions of Van, sheep farming has been widespread throughout history. The elevation average is mostly above 2000 meters, the vegetation is weak due to the arid periods, and the limited opportunities for vegetative farming make it compulsory for ovine livestock. While 82% of the livestock farming in the province is composed of ovine livestock only 6% is composed of cattle farming activities. As a matter of fact, the main source of ovine livestock activities in the province is mostly plateau and pasture areas. Plateaus and pastures, which are an important food store for coarse and quality feed, are vital for ovine livestock. The plateaus serve as a resource not only for the grazing summer season but also for the supply of animal nutrition throughout the year. The prohibition of highland areas, which are important in terms of development and sustainability of ovine livestock, for reasons of security, causes rapid decline in animal husbandry activities and also causes the animal production to be extremely limited. The prohibitions lead to a decrease in meat and milk yields per animal and a decrease in the number of farmers engaged in animal husbandry. In this study, the effect of prohibiting these plateaus for security reasons on livestock activities will be discussed. As of 2017, 38% of Van s population lives in rural areas. According to the field study, the vast majority of this rural population is engaged in sheep breeding. Prohibitions Of Transhumance have caused these farmers to move away from the livestock sector and weaken the rural economy. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of these highland bans on livestock, rural economy, rural development and rural population.

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Van , Transhumance , Prohibitions Of Transhumance , Ovine Livestock

eastern geographical review

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eastern geographical review