Miranda do Douro, Portugal, April 15, 2025 (Lusa) - The lack of young people interested in shepherding means one of the emblematic sheep breeds of the north-east of Trás-os-Montes - the Mirandese lamb - won't have enough animals to satisfy the market this Easter. "Churra mirandês" is a species of lamb whose meat is in great demand during the Easter period. However, there aren't enough animals to feed the market, which is one of the factors that causes its price to double at this time of year. The shepherds of the Mirandese Plateau say that the meat from the Mirandese churra breed of lamb, a species of indigenous sheep with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label, is well paid for. Still, the herd is scarce because the younger generations don't want to continue this work. Andrea Cortinhas, technical secretary of the National Association of Lambs of the Churra Mirandesa Breed, told Lusa that everything is lacking to continue breeding this breed, especially young shepherds, which contributes to the loss of livestock. "We need to reverse the situation. We need new people who want to dedicate themselves to livestock farming and the shepherding profession. The profession of shepherd is a worthy one and is being valued, especially in the indigenous breeds, but we need interested parties," she said. According to the technician, the herd of this breed is being maintained "thanks to the work of the older shepherds, with fluctuations throughout the year", but the older ones, "due to their physical limitations, are abandoning the activity". "It's a unique genetic heritage at national and international level, since [the meat of this lamb] has its own characteristics due to its management on the Mirandese Plateau, and it's important to look at the sector creatively," said Andrea Cortinhas. She added that the number of churra galega mirandesa sheep currently stands at around 5,500 head and recalled that "10 years ago there were 6,900 animals in the herd of this indigenous breed". "In the last half year there have been around 2,700 lambs born. To satisfy the market, we'd need more than twice as many," she said. Churra lamb producers who are still in business told Lusa that the price increase is due to greater demand for this meat at this time of year, which is greater than the supply. Bento dos Santos Pires said that "everything is expensive". "It's the fuel and the increase in production factors, which is driving younger people away from this work because they think it's not profitable," he said. "At Christmas the lambs did well, because they were the right age and weight, but now it's more difficult, because the animals have grown a lot and the more weight they have, the lower the price paid per kilo," he said. Francisco Pires, another Mirandese shepherd, said that the price paid to farmers this year is around €9-10 per kilo, but in supermarkets or butchers it can reach €20 per kilo. "The profit always goes to the middlemen," he said. This shepherd also said that "there were times when he sold 15 to 16 lambs on his doorstep, and this year he hasn't sold much," mainly because people are looking for cheaper meat. To be considered Mirandese lamb meat, the animal must be slaughtered at four months of age and must have been born and raised in a traditional extensive farming system in the geographical area of the municipalities of Miranda do Douro, Mogadouro and Vimioso, in the district of Bragança. The carcasses must weigh between four and 12 kilos. FYP/ADB // ADB. Lusa