ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that even small increases in biological efficiency of production may be difficult and limited, but small ruminants offer one avenue where production ceilings remain quite distant. The potential to increase efficiency of small ruminant meat animals through biotechnology selection research is so great that it will be difficult for any other technology to have a practical impact on farm production. F. E. Davidson seems optimistic that biotechnology through genetic engineering, cloning, new biological processing techniques, and other scientific applications of molecular biology will lead to revolutionary change. Increased meat production from small ruminants through biotechnology research offers the best hope of increasing farm income and reducing the loss of farmers in the future. If increased biotechnology research and development is initiated, the increase in efficiency or net return per acre of the sheep industry might exceed five percent per year.
