Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify the primary factors influencing the economic sustainability of sheep enterprises in Türkiye. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected through face-to-face surveys conducted with 201 enterprises across Ankara, Balıkesir, Erzurum, Eskişehir and Konya during the 2023 production period. The sample was selected using stratified random sampling, and the data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) software, incorporating both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. RESULTS: The results identified five key dimensions explaining economic sustainability: financial sustainability, innovation and investment, welfare, marketing and technical/productivity factors. The 'Enterprise Performance Scale' developed for this study proved to be a valid and reliable instrument (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin [KMO] = 0.853; Cronbach's alpha = 0.867). Among these dimensions, the technical/productivity factor exhibited the highest influence and showed strong correlations with other factors (r = 0.828). The findings suggest that economic sustainability is a multidimensional construct, with the identified factors complementing one another. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that economic sustainability in sheep enterprises is shaped by a multidimensional structure in which financial, technical and organizational capacities complement one another. Strengthening these dimensions particularly through improved marketing, technology adoption and producer cooperation can directly inform policy strategies aimed at enhancing the long-term resilience and competitiveness of the sheep farming sector in Türkiye.