Structural transformation of the Indian sheep sector
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Authors
ARUN KUMAR
ICAR-Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar Rajasthan 304 501 India
Keywords:
Breeds, Constraints, Future roadmap, Mutton, Production systems, WoolAbstract
Over the period 1950-2025, the Indian sheep sector has undergone substantial structural transformation in its production orientation, technological base and market integration. Although the national sheep population increased moderately from 39.1 million in 1951 to 74.26 million, output growth has been markedly higher. Mutton production expanded nearly tenfold, reaching 1.185 million tonnes in 2024-25, whereas wool production stabilized at 34.57 million kg, indicating a progressive shift from fibre-dominated systems to meat-oriented production. This transformation has been shaped by genetic improvement programmes, development of synthetic breeds, regionspecific nutritional strategies, advances in reproductive and animal health management, and evolving policy support. India currently ranks second globally in sheep population, underscoring its strategic importance in the small ruminant economy. Despite the growing dominance of mutton in sectoral value, wool continues to hold regional livelihood significance in arid and hill ecosystems. This review synthesizes long-term trends in population and production dynamics, breed development, technological interventions and emerging market drivers. It also analyses persistent constraints, including shrinking grazing resources, limited genetic gain, suboptimal technology adoption, disease burden, market inefficiencies and climate stress. A strategic pathway is proposed to enhance productivity, resilience, value addition and value-chain efficiency while safeguarding the livelihoods of small and marginal sheep farmers across diverse agro-ecological regions.
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