The Importance of Ovine Livestock in Rural Development and Prevention of Red Meat Gap: Problems in The Case of Kastamonu Province and Applicability of Clustering

Abstract

The fact that red meat consumption is sufficient today is one of the indicators of the development levels of countries. But the lack of the sufficient red meat production in Turkey brings about rising meat prices and decreasing red meat consumption. This situation makes the import mandatory. Many of regions as Kastamonu in Turkey with wide rangelands and forested areas is very suitable for ovine breeding. In this context, the aim of this study is to determine the problems of ovine producers in order to provide rural development in Kastamonu province and to investigate the solution of these problems by clustering. In order to reach this aim, the sector's problems and the producers‘ perspectives to the cluster in the solution of these problems have been tried to be determined by interviews with the producers in the province.