Economic assessment of wet barley cultivar replacing dry barley and green fodder mix for sheep in Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract EN

This research performs an economic assessment of replacing green fodder and dry barley by wet barley cultivar to feed sheep for both producers and buyers of wet barley cultivar in Riyadh.

Economic comparative analysis compares the increase in the value of the animal’s weight and the value of daily nutrition.

The study shows that when sheep breeders buy wet barley cultivar to replace dry barley and green fodder, total daily feeding costs increase at a rate between 25.4% and 191.9%.

The replacement process is economically rewarding only for Najdi, Naimi and Baladi sheeps.

Sheep feed costs are exacerbated when the state reduces energy and water support, and sheep breeders increase the sale price of sheep, or put pressure on natural pastures through increased overgrazing, and therefore impact the efficiency and sustainability of natural pastures.

The study recommends: (1) no expansion in the replacement of dry barley and green fodder with barley cultivar to feed the Alhari, Barbary, and Rafidi sheeps, (2) following the feeding pattern of adding 0.8 kg dry barley cultivar to 4.16 kg wet barley cultivar to increase the weight of the animal an average of 230 grams per day, especially for the producers of barley cultivar.