Sheep Farming in Ukraine: Financial, Economic, Managerial and Socio-Cultural Aspects of Sustainable Development

Abstract

In conditions of active hostilities, there is a need to preserve national and cultural identity while ensuring the economic development of the state. This necessitates the study of those spheres of production that are historical and traditional, yet capable of producing economic effects. Therefore, the purpose of the manuscript is to study sheep farming as a historical, economic, national and cultural value of the Ukrainian people, as well as a source of food, materials for processing, medical goods, income of the state, communities, and citizens, a place of work in rural areas and to provide the recommendations for support and development of this industry in Ukraine. During the research, a number of scientific research methods were used, in particular: formal and legal assessment, comparison, graphic, tabular, and cartographic analysis, synthesis, regression analysis, and branched fraction theory. The article analyzes the regulatory and legal framework for the development and support of sheep farming in Ukraine at the state and community levels; a comparison of the current sheep population in Ukraine and wool production volumes with similar indicators of world leaders in sheep farming was conducted; the distribution of agricultural animals by regions of Ukraine was studied and mapped; key indicators of the spread of sheep farming within Ukraine were analyzed; regression tools and branched continued fractions were used to build a forecast of the sheep and goat population and wool production volumes in Ukraine in 2025 and 2026; a critical analysis of domestic and foreign studies of the problems and prospects for the expansion of the sheep farming industry was conducted; relevant recommendations were formulated regarding the support and future progress of sheep farming as a component of economic activity and a means of preserving the national and cultural identity of Ukrainians.