NEW
AGENDA OCTOBER 14: ARDI2 Project Final Event: The future of Latxa and Manech breeds
11 September 2026
Dairy sheep farming plays an undeniable economic, social, and environmental role in the Spanish and French Pyrenees. However, the farming of native breeds such as Latxa and Manech has historically been separated by geographical and administrative barriers, leading to independent genetic improvement programs developing at different paces.
To address this challenge, the first phase of the initiative (ARDI project) focused on unifying methodologies and breeding programs, resulting in the creation of the EEIG ARTALDEAN among sheep farmers from both sides of the border. In this second phase, ARDI2 aimed to consolidate and build upon this cross-border structure, establishing it as a benchmark for implementing breeding programs across the territory.
Over the past three years, CDEO, INRAE, IDELE, NEIKER, ASLANA, and ARDIEKIN have worked together in a coordinated manner to consolidate this genetic progress and enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of the Latxa and Manech breeds, directly benefiting the sheep sector in the Pyrenean region.
During this final event, we will present and discuss the outcomes achieved after these years of joint collaboration. Furthermore, we invite all stakeholders to participate and jointly define how to keep moving forward and building the future of dairy sheep farming.
- TARGET AUDIENCE: partners, producers, sheep sector professionals, research staff, land managers, and technical personnel from entities linked to dairy sheep farming.
Programme
09:30 – 10:00 | Registration and welcome coffee
10:00 – 10:30 | Opening remarks and welcome from the authorities: Eva Ugarte, researcher at NEIKER
10.30 – 11.15 | ARTALDEAN consolidation Céline André, Director of the CDEO (Centre Départemental de l’Élevage Ovin)
11.15 – 11.45 | Cross-border genetic evaluation Zulma Vitezica, researcher at the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRAE)
11.45 – 12.15 | Break – Coffee
12.15 – 12.45 | New traits Itsasne Granado, researcher at NEIKER’s Department of Animal Science
12.45 – 13.15 | New technologies Maite Lasarte, technical director of ASLANA (Association of Latxa Sheep Breeders of Navarre)
13:15 – 14:00 | Reflections and joint discussion Eva Ugarte, researcher at NEIKER
14:00 – 14:05 | Farewell and closing remarks
14:15 | Lunch
