Abstract

This paper review briefly Ethiopian sheep genetic resources, description of farming systems, breeding objectives of the community, and to quantify threats with previous sheep genetic improvement and conservation strategies in Ethiopia. Thus, the aims of this paper focus on the role of characterizing indigenous sheep breed, including their threat status in genetic improvement programs. Indigenous sheep genetic resources have contributed considerable portion to the integrated crop-livestock farming systems in Ethiopia. Ethiopia endowed with a diverse sheep genetic resource maintained under different production systems. Sheep research and development in Ethiopia has largely focused on characterization of sheep genetic resources, description of farming systems and genetic improvements using crossbreeding and selection within breed. In Ethiopia, there are a total of 14 traditional sheep populations in Ethiopia fall into six breed groups based on DNA and morphological data. The main cause of threatening the sheep genetic resource in Ethiopia is indiscriminate crossbreeding with exotic germplasm. Few research institutes and agricultural universities are involved in the conservation and management of sheep breeds in Ethiopia. Currently the emphasis is on village based rather than centre-based genetic improvement program. It is possible to conserve sheep genetic resources in Ethiopia through quantifying past sheep characterization works and developing breeding programs suitable to the conditions of smallholder farmers that increase the economic values of indigenous sheep breeds. © Scienceline Publication.