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Spain Livestock
Spanish meat production in 1986 totalled 2,497,000
tons. The
country's farmers produced 137,000 tons of lamb and
mutton,
435,000 tons of beef and veal, 765,000 tons of poultry,
and
1,160,000 tons of pork. With some fluctuations, these
figures
were representative of Spain's meat production during the
1980s.
Spanish livestock industries had experienced significant
growth
and modernization since the 1950s, but their output
remained well
behind the levels of efficiency and productivity of EC
countries.
The EC states' generous subsidies and their experience in
the use
of expensive feed grains gave their livestock industries a
decided competitive advantage. As the Spanish livestock
sector
was increasingly concentrated in northern Spain, where
minifundio agriculture predominated, many Spanish
cattleraising farms were too small fully to exploit the
efficiencies of
modern technology. Domestic meat production failed to meet
demand, making Spain a net importer of farm animals and
meat
products.
Pork was Spain's most important meat product, and the
number
of pigs grew from 7.6 million in 1970 to 11.4 million in
1985.
Pigs were raised unpenned in the central uplands, but they
were
generally pen-fed in the northern regions. At times
African Swine
Fever was a serious impediment to pork exports.
Poultry raising had also expanded rapidly, and the
number of
chickens had doubled between 1970 and 1985, when it
reached 54
million. The emphasis was on poultry production for meat
rather
than for eggs, because poultry, previously a minor item in
the
Spanish diet, had become much more popular. The most
important
areas for poultry raising were in the maize-growing
provinces of
the north and the northwest, but Catalonia, Valencia, and
Andalusia were also important.
The principal cattle areas were in the north, the
northwest,
and, to a lesser degree, in Extremadura, Andalusia, the
Rio Duero
Basin, and the Murcia-Valencia lowlands. These regions
provided
the suitable pastures that were available only in areas
with
humid climates or with irrigated land. In 1986 Spain had 5
million cattle, including 1.9 million dairy cows. About 25
percent of the cattle were raised as oxen for draft
purposes, and
about 2 percent were bred for the bullring. The ranches of
Extremadura and Andalusia specialized in raising animals
of
bullring quality.
The dairy industry had grown rapidly. Milk production
from
cows, sheep, and goats, which had stood at 5.4 million
tons in
1974, reached 6.4 million tons in 1986--well over double
the
production level of the early 1960s. The bulk of milk
products
came from Galicia, Asturias, and Santander. In 1982 the
government launched a program designed to modernize milk
production, to improve its quality, and to concentrate it
in the
northern provinces. The dairy industry was not seriously
hurt by
Spain's entry into the EC, although the 3 percent quota
reduction
for each of the years 1987 and 1988 and the 5.5 percent
voluntary
cutback hampered development.
Spain's sheep population remained almost unchanged at
about
17 million between 1970 and 1985. Sheep rearing
predominated in
central Spain and the Ebro Basin. Goats were kept in much
the
same area, but they were more prevalent in the higher,
less
grassy elevations because they can survive on poorer
pasture.
Merino sheep, the best known breed, were probably imported
from
North Africa, and they were well adapted to semiarid
conditions.
Merino sheep, noted for their fine wool, were widely used
as
stock for new breeds. Other prominent breeds were the
churro and the manchegan. Although raised
primarily
for wool, milk, and cheese, Spanish farm animals,
particularly
sheep, were increasingly used to satisfy the country's
meat
consumption needs.
Data as of December 1988
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