Southdown sheep wool and cereals due to rising volumes of imports from the British Empire was accompanied by the Wet Years - a six-year period of cold, wet weather with little sun. In the Second World War, the South Downs were commandeered for military training, only fringe farms being left to produce milk for the towns. Sheep farming declined further after the war, although it is now being encouraged again through the designation of the downland as an environmentally sensitive area, and the restoration of arable land to sheepwalk. The Southdown has been placed on a watch list by the Rare Breeds
Rare breed (agriculture) are catered by the Rare Poultry Society (RPS). The RPS does not look after breeds that count few individuals but have their own breed club. The British Rabbit Council (BRC) notes in its breed standards those rabbit breeds that have been recognized by the affiliated Rare Varieties Rabbit Club, of which there are currently 26 breeds. Major factors causing breeds to become rare are reported to include increased use of exotic breeds, weak policies and institutions in animal genetic resources management, neglect of certain breeds because of a lack of profitability or competitiveness, the intensification of production systems, the effects