Champion Ram Crowned at Pag Sheep and Cheese Exhibition

The island of Pag, Croatia, recently hosted its 24th exhibition of Pag sheep and Pag cheese, a significant event celebrating the region's agricultural heritage and its protected products.

Experts from the Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food (HAPIH) and the Faculty of Agriculture judged the livestock and dairy entries. OPG Ivan Buljanović from Pag presented the best collection of sheep, featuring a ewe that produced over 230 liters of milk in her second lactation. The award for the best ram went to OPG Tomislav Vidas from Novalja, while the champion ram of the year, earning the coveted champion's bell, was MIH Farme from Kolan.

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Pag lamb and Pag cheese hold protected designations of origin (ZOI) at the European level.

Zdravko Barać, president of the organizing committee and executive director of the Croatian Sheep and Goat Breeders Association, noted that Pag is home to over 35,000 sheep. Two of its products, Pag lamb and Pag cheese, hold protected designations of origin (ZOI) at the European level.

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Pag sheep – from tradition to future: the breeding program as the basis for preserving the Croatian indigenous breed

Barać highlighted that, unlike other regions in Croatia, the sheep population on Pag remains stable, with younger generations increasingly taking over farm production. The exhibition also featured the first festival of Croatian protected and traditional products, showcasing 52 items alongside local Pag specialties.

Panel discussions during the event focused on preserving the indigenous Pag sheep breed through breeding programs and finding ways to keep young people engaged in agricultural production. Another discussion emphasized the growing market importance of protected products and the need for consumer education regarding quality protection systems.

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Origin is value!