Sheep farming in Greenland. Its history, managemental practices and disease problems

The economy of the Greenlandic sheep industry has always operated on a thin edge, the balance being determined by long-term changes in climate and year-to-year weather fluctuations. During the last decades sheep farming has been intensified in many areas, and more rational management systems have been introduced under the guidance of agricultural and veterinary consultants. Improvements include winter feeding, strategic breeding and lambing practices and disease control programmes. Successful efforts are being made to prevent the recurrence of previous dramatic declines in the sheep population and to diminish losses of growing lambs grazing the extensive rangelands. However, the overall disease situation and the effect of environmental stresses on the breeding stock and growing lambs in this unique, subarctic region are far from being fully explored.