LA CABRA BLANCA DE RASQUERA: CARACTERIZACIÓN ESTRUCTURAL DE LAS EXPLOTACIONES

This work shows the results of a survey from the owners of the last 12 Blanca de Rasquera goat farms remaining in Catalonia. Herd average size is 410 animals with a proportion of 21.7 goats/buck. The average replacement rate is 14.8 and 21.1 perecnt for females and males, respectively, and it is made with their own young animals. The flocks are managed in extensive system on mountain range, with 2.6 animals/ha (0.39 UGM/ha) on average. Feeding depends basically on grazing, but food supplementation of kidding does is practiced in 8 exploitations. The most usual mating system is discontinuous and free, controlling the breeding periods by means of isolating the males. The average prolificacy is 1.4, and the main kidding period takes place in autumn, obtaining light suckling kids (8 kg LW) to be sold at Christmas, when prices are higher. Installations are mainly in a bad state, having marked deficiencies of covered areas (0.9 m²/goat) as well as unreliable electricity and water supply. Moreover, the roads to reach them are in bad condition. The farms are predominantly single-worker or family managed, and average age of the holders is 53.2 years. Because of the low profitability of business, continuity is only assured in 16.7 percent of exploitations. However, it is worth emphasizing the role of these herds in the conservation of natural ranges, as well as the direct and indirect potential for creating jobs, resulting in an enhanced demographic balance. These facts justify the implication of public institutions to push the increase of exploitations, which consequently allows the organization in the form of a breeder association of this breed, and the creation of strategies for an outstanding and high quality product