Agriculture is one of the main income generating activities in Duhok governorate and breeding livestock, such as sheep and goats, is common in almost all the villages.
Livestock ownership ranges from less than ten to more than one thousand sheep and/or goats. Livestock produce is usually used for domestic consumption, with only the larger herds producing for the local market. Milking and shearing sheep is usually done manually; machinery is seldom used. This presents challenges, as it requires heavy and intensive manual labour. Also, the produce is often of lower quality compared to the milk produced with machinery.
The Directorate General of Agriculture in Duhok Governorate in their meetings with the MASAR-PCPM team identified the improvement of livestock products as a priority for Sheikhan district. As a result, agreement was reached to support the livestock breeders in Sheikhan with capacity building and equipment. The activity improved their livestock produce thereby contributing to local economic development in the area.
The MASAR support consisted of four sessions of 3-day livestock breeding training for 80 livestock breeders and covered five sub-districts of Sheikhan district. The eighty farmers who completed the training also received in-kind assistance in the form of milking and shearing equipment. An additional set of milking and shearing equipment was provided to the Department of Agriculture in Sheikhan District for training purposes.
