Sivas livestock sector to use official Afghan shepherds

The Sivas Breeders of Sheep and Goats Union, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, has launched a project to address the shepherd shortage in Sivas, Turkey, by bringing in Afghan shepherds through official channels.

Serdar Dağlar, President of the Sivas Breeders of Sheep and Goats Union, stated that the initiative aims to solve labor shortages in the livestock sector while simultaneously addressing irregular migration by registering workers. Currently, 22 Afghan shepherds have been officially registered, with plans to increase this number to 70 by the end of the year.

Dağlar noted that there are approximately 1,200 irregular migrant shepherds currently in the region, and the goal is to have a significant portion of them officially registered by 2027. The project has already seen a resurgence in local interest, with 220 new members joining the union.