Increasing Small Ruminant Productivity in Semi-arid Areas

I. Livestock Systems and Nutrition.- The Contribution of Livestock Products to Human Dietary Needs with Special Reference to North Africa and West Asia.- The Importance of Barley in Food Production and Demand in West Asia and North Africa.- Research Strategies for Development: Improving Sheep and Goat Production in Developing Countries.- Increasing Feed Resources for Small Ruminants in the Mediterranean Basin.- A Comparison of Grazing and Browsing Ruminants in the Use of Feed Resources.- Improving Livestock Production from Straw-Based Diets.- II. Breeding.- Breeding Strategies for Small Ruminants in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas.- A Strategy for the Exploitation of Sheep Genotypes for Improved Flock Performance.- Sheep and Goats: Their Relative Potential for Milk and Meat Production in Semi-Arid Environments.- New Technologies for Animal Improvement and Developing Countries.- Selection for Lamb Growth in Libyan Barbary Sheep.- The Awassi Sheep Breeding Project in Syria.- Past Experiences of Sheep Improvement in Egypt and Future Directions.- Genetic Improvement of Sheep in Turkey.- Sheep Breeding in Jordan and a Proposed Awassi Breed Improvement Programme.- Genetic Improvement of Sheep in Cyprus by Selection and/or Crossbreeding.- III. Health.- Studying Husbandry and Health of Awassi Sheep in Bedouin Flocks: Evaluation of Methodology Using Initial Results.- Emerging Bacterial Diseases that can Affect Small Ruminant Production.- The Economic Significance and Control of Small Ruminant Viruses in North Africa and West Asia.- Controlling Livestock Diseases in the Tropics by Breeding: A Perspective.- Impact on Productivity and Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal and Lungworm Parasites in Sheep in Morocco.- Resistance of Sheep and Goats to Helminth Infections: A Genetic Basis.- The Potential Use of Vaccines or Genetically Resistant Animals in the Control of Helminthiasis.- Mechanisms of Immunity to Gastrointestinal Nematodes of Sheep.- Recommendations.- List of Authors and Participants.