The livestock or livestock sector is a part of the primary sector whose economic activity consists of breeding, domestication and exploitation for production purposes.
Livestock farming has as its ultimate goal the production or obtaining of goods. Production or obtaining of goods, whether for food or not. For example, eggs, milk, or meat are food items. However, the wool of a sheep is intended as a raw material for the production of clothing.
Consequently, the livestock sector can provide the final product or an intermediate product. Following the example of wool, we would be talking about an intermediate product in the event that it is sold to a textile company to make a sweater. Similarly, a company may also be engaged in selling milk and marketing it directly.
Main types of livestock
The type of livestock would be the type of animal used. Considering the species, we can distinguish between the main types of livestock:
- Sheep: Made up of sheep.
- Bovine or bovine: Made up of oxen, bulls and cows.
- Pig: Made up of pigs.
- Caprino: Made up of goats.
- Equine: Made up of horses and mares.
- Cuniculture: It is that discipline based on the breeding of rabbits
- Poultry: Focused on the breeding of birds. For example, chickens.
Some bibliographic references include beekeeping (bees) within the species. Although they are not mammals, by convention they are included within the types of livestock.
Types of livestock
Depending on the place, the rancher and the way the cattle are exploited, we can differentiate between different types of ranching.
- Extensive livestock:This is a livestock system that tries to produce outdoors. That is, taking advantage of the environment as a resource. Experts indicate that it is the highest quality production, since the ecosystem provides everything necessary for the food and maintenance of livestock.
- Intensivestockbreeding : When we talk about intensive stockbreeding we are referring to the cattle found in stables. Intensive livestock farming is less expensive on a monetary level. Livestock, therefore, cannot move at their free will.
The livestock sector in the economy
The livestock sector, as part of the primary sector, usually loses weight proportionally as the country or region is more advanced. Thus in advanced economies the weight on the gross domestic product (GDP) is quite small compared to emerging economies or developing countries.
Among the countries with the most head of cattle (this is how cattle size is counted) are countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Argentina in Latin America, Mexico in Central America, the United States and Canada in North America, Russia in Europe and India in Asia.
Everything is said, the importance of the livestock sector for the economy of a territory will depend mainly on the conditions. Countries like Argentina produce very good meat because the conditions for their livestock are optimal. Thanks to this, the meat industry occupies an important place within the primary sector
