Portugal counts 65 native livestock breeds, led by cattle and sheep

Portugal has 65 officially recognised native breeds, according to Agriculture Ministry figures released for National Native Breeds Day. Cattle and sheep dominate, with 17 and 16 breeds respectively. The rest comprise six goat, six equine, three pig and five poultry breeds, 11 dog breeds and one honeybee. The ministry described the breeds as the product of centuries of adaptation to the land, and said keeping them supports biodiversity, local economies and rural communities. It also paid tribute to the breeders and associations who sustain them, calling them guardians of a living heritage.