Animal husbandry, one of the main components of the agricultural sector,
is one of the basic sources of human nutrition and plays a significant role in the economic development of the country.
Regarding increasing needs of the country for the sufficient food which stems from the population growth, and in view of the low production capacities, the need for ore utilization of food resources has become more acute especially in the case of livestock products.In addition to the important share of the red meat in the total value of imports as well as employment activities, it should he noted that every year huge amount of foreign exchange resources is allocated for the import of this product from abroad. Thus study the ways and means of achieving self- sufficiency in production of this product is of great significance.
The following are some of the results of this study:
1. Of the total domestic livestock, 81 percent is at the disposal of the rural
dwellers, the number of whom amount to 2.4 million producers.
2. In 1370 the share of value added of the animal husbandry sub - sector in
the value added of the agricultural sector was 43.4 percent.
3. Iran was in a favourable condition as regards the number of livestock.
4. Total areas of the country's pastures and range lands which was 90
million hectares during the last three decades has been depleted and is 88 million hectares at the present.
5. Production of animal fodder from the domestic pastures and range
lands has been decreased from 4 million T.D.N to 3.5 million T.D.N during the
last three decades.
6. Existing pastures can satisfy only 12.8 percent of the animal fodder
requirement of the country.
7. Number of domestic livestock is not in commensurate with the areas of
pastures and range lands in different provinces.
8. Domestic livestock suffer from fodder deficiency, thus they are not able
to gain proper weight during a specified period of time.