Sheep production systems in Salinas, San Luis Potosí: characterization and challenges for their sustainability in semi-arid regions of Mexico

Resumen

This study characterized sheep production systems in Salinas, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, based on structured surveys applied to 40 producers sampled through non-probabilistic snowballing. Sociodemographic, productive, sanitary, environmental, and marketing aspects were recorded, as well as their relationship with producers´ perception of drought impact. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, associations between categorical variables were evaluated with chi-square tests, and monotonic associations involving ordinal variables were assessed using Spearman rank correlations. Producer typologies were identified using Gower distance and k-medoids clustering (PAM), with the number of clusters selected by silhouette width. Results showed predominance of mixed grazing–partial confinement management (75 %), rustic pens (97.5 %), limited supplementation and preventive health practices (15 % reported regular vaccination). Drought was perceived as “very severe” by 77.5 % of producers, and reported losses averaged 6.9 animals per production unit (maximum 40). Correlation analyses indicated weak, non-significant associations between drought perception, losses and producer age. Clustering identified two producer profiles largely differentiated by management: mixed systems (n= 30), with larger flocks and higher reported losses, and intensive systems (n= 10), with smaller flocks and lower reported losses. These findings support the need for differentiated interventions focused on low-cost feeding and health management, drought preparedness and market strengthening for semi-arid sheep systems.