The Macina, or Inner Niger Delta, is a large 400 km-long area of lakes and floodplains in Mali. It is located in the middle course of the Niger River, between the bifurcated Niger and its tributary, the Bani. During the wet season, the swamp floods into a lake and naturally irrigates the land. When the dry season comes, the Macina turns into a network of lakes and channels. The seasonal wetlands and lakes of the inland delta are also an important stopping place for migratory birds. Summary This paper gives a brief outline of the supposed origins, the known history and the distribution of the Macina sheep. A physical description of the breed is provided, population demography is discussed and traditional systems of management are described and explained. Productivity is assessed in two ways—from the results of a questionnaire survey of traditional owners and analyses of four years' data on a small flock owned by ILCA and managed as closely as possible on traditional lines.
This paper gives a brief outline of the supposed origins, the known history and the distribution of the Macina sheep. A physical description of the breed is provided, population demography is discussed and traditional systems of management are described and explained. Productivity is assessed in two ways--from the results of a questionnaire survey of traditional owners and analyses of four years' data on a small flock owned by ILCA and managed as closely as possible on traditional lines. " And it did not profit from the exchange - for the Macina was in a horrendous state, and the MLP had to invest heavily in time and funds to make it habitable". The MLP always had a penchant for investing in 'horrendous' deals. Such was its foresight and Mr. Laiviera wants to give the impression that the MLP did Malta a favour by grabbing il-Macina and turn it into the MLP HQ ! Their 'garrison' mentality really shone in Mintoff's time. Imagine inviting some foreign dignitary and walking him/her through the horrendous bowels of il-Macina for a meeting with el Capitano! The MLP left us with a third hand telephone system, not enough electricity and brown tap water, but 'invested heavily in time and money to make it (il-Macina) half way habitable'!
Resumen Se hace un recuento breve de los orígenes, historia conocida y distribución de la oveja Macina, complementado con la descriptión Física, demografía poblacional y con los métodos tradicionales de manego. La productividad de esta raza se determinó de dos maneras: mediante una encuesta de opinión hecha entre los propietarios tradicionales, y mediante el análisis de datos recogidos durante cuatro años de estudios de un grupo de ovejas Macina propiedad de ILCA, manejado éste siguiendo lineas tradicionales.
Résumé Cet article donne un bref aperçu sur les origines supposées, l'histoire connue et la répartition géographique du mouton de Macina. La description physique de cette race est donnée, la démographie de sa population discutée et les systèmes traditionnels d'élevage sont décrits et expliqués. La productivité est évaluée de deux façons: d'après les résultats d'une enquête faite par questionnaire auprès des propriétaires traditionnels et par les analyses de données sur 4 ans récoltées à partir d'un modeste troupeau appartenant à l'ILCA et élevé en suivant le plus près possible le système traditionnel local.
Résumé Cet article donne un bref aperçu sur les origines supposées, l'histoire connue et la répartition géographique du mouton de Macina. La description physique de cette race est donnée, la démographie de sa population discutée et les systèmes traditionnels d'élevage sont décrits et expliqués. La productivité est évaluée de deux façons: d'après les résultats d'une enquête faite par questionnaire auprès des propriétaires traditionnels et par les analyses de données sur 4 ans récoltées à partir d'un modeste troupeau appartenant à l'ILCA et élevé en suivant le plus près possible le système traditionnel local.
This paper gives a brief outline of the supposed origins, the known history and the distribution of the Macina sheep. A physical description of the breed is provided, population demography is discussed and traditional systems of management are described and explained. Productivity is assessed in two ways--from the results of a questionnaire survey of traditional owners and analyses of four years' data on a small flock owned by ILCA and managed as closely as possible on traditional lines. " And it did not profit from the exchange - for the Macina was in a horrendous state, and the MLP had to invest heavily in time and funds to make it habitable". The MLP always had a penchant for investing in 'horrendous' deals. Such was its foresight and Mr. Laiviera wants to give the impression that the MLP did Malta a favour by grabbing il-Macina and turn it into the MLP HQ ! Their 'garrison' mentality really shone in Mintoff's time. Imagine inviting some foreign dignitary and walking him/her through the horrendous bowels of il-Macina for a meeting with el Capitano! The MLP left us with a third hand telephone system, not enough electricity and brown tap water, but 'invested heavily in time and money to make it (il-Macina) half way habitable'!
