After ten years of absence, France is starting again World Sheep Markets. On the program is a week of competition, 5 cross divisions, 6 events… and a champion! France invited countries with a strong tradition of sheep breeding to this meeting: England, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Benin, Canada, Chile, Ivory Coast, Scotland, Spain, France, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Peru and Togo. call. Each country will present two candidates. A girl or a boy, they must be between 18 and 25 years old and have completed agricultural training or have been active for less than a year.
Great Britain will present two girls and two boys, and each represents one of the 4 nations of the kingdom. He will represent France The best young shepherds in 2024 who were selected during the national finals Ovinpiadewith that International agricultural exhibitionand in Paris. Isarian Benoit Toutain, The best young shepherd and bigourdane Iris Soucaza, The best young shepherdess from National sheep races 2024 will wear the colors of France. A total of 29 candidates from 17 countries will try their luck to win the title.
To promote the establishment of future sheep breeders
In the coming years, more than one in two sheep farmers will retire in France. In 2023 only 49% of the sheep meat consumed in the area is produced there, the rest is imported. In order to ensure the renewal of generations and the maintenance of production, the sheep sector (milk and meat) tries to employ different professions: farm managers, breeders, shepherds, employees, etc.
Precisely for this reasonInterbev sheep and the entire sheep industry in the frame program Inn’Ovin organize Sheep of young shepherds from 2005 and 2009 at the European level.
In 2011, New Zealand hosted the first World Championship of Young Shepherds in Oamaru. The following year, sheep experts decided to establishInternational association create a dynamic network for training in agriculture, encourage youth exchange and the establishment of future sheep breeders. Like France, other countries face the same difficulties from generation renewal. After the welcome in September 2013 during Tech-Ovin in Bellac, 5th final European championship of young shepherdsFrance organized the second World Championship on the sidelines of the Livestock Summit, in Auvergne, in 2014.
While the European Championship is organized every year during the national finals Ovinpiyade On International agricultural exhibitionTHE World Ovinpiades they therefore return to France after ten years of absence.
A few steps to discover the diversity of the sector
In order to reveal the diversity of sheep farming, this competition will be traveling. After the reception in Paris, 17 foreign delegations will board a bus to Haute-Vienne in New Aquitaine, Aveyron in OccitaniaHaute-Loire in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Saône-et-Loire in Burgundy-Franche-Comté and Rambouillet National Sheepdog in Ile de France to participate in the 3rd World Championship of Young Shepherds. Thus, 29 young contestants will rediscover legendary events from National breeds of sheep and some new features like mowing and setting up mobile fences.
THE World Sheep Markets will arrive in Aveyron on Monday 27 May at the end of the day. The delegations will stay for two nights at the Cazotte Agricultural High School in Saint-Affrique. This stage will be a sign of relaxation, but only after the completion of the first two parts of the competition (shearing and trimming) at the experimental farm Mourier – CiiRPO in St Saint-Priest-Ligoure in Haute-Vienne and before the next two (assessing the fatness of the lambs and sorting the sheep with an electronic reader), at the experimental station Fedtest in Mazeyrat-d’Allier in Haute-Loire.
Discovering the familiar Roquefort PDO
Tuesday, May 28, young competitors will go to Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon to discover Larzac on a rail bike. Then in the afternoon they will discover the famous cheese Roquefort AOP. He will visit a cellar in Roquefort-sur-Soulzonthen two dairy sheep farms in Roquefort (3 p.m.: Gaec des Fleurines chemin de médéric, Lauras).
Then, the regional evening at Pastoralat Saint-Affrique Agricultural High Schoolfrom 19:00 there will be a presentation of the dairy sector by French dairy sheep and welcoming professional and elected representatives around regional products and the meat and milk sector under official quality marks: PDO Roquefort, Label the Rouge lambetc.
Philippe MOURET
Read also:
https://dis-leur.fr/agriculture-et-les-meilleurs-jeunes-bergers-doccitanie-sont/
https://dis-leur.fr/bergers-focus-sur-le-plus-vieux-metier-du-monde/