engleski

The Place of Croatian Livestock Production in European agriculture

Livestock production is very significant economic branch of Croatian agriculture, especially the production of cattle and pigs. The livestock production in Croatia is recently faced with great difficulties, and so due to number of reasons. Firstly, small family farm size in Croatia is limitation for the number of livestock, so only 4.2per cent of those farms have more than five cows, 5.3per cent more than ten pigs, 2.6per cent more than 20 sheep. Secondly, the illusion still exist that only slight changes and with traditional production ways or managing systems, together with continuous support and care of state institutions (mostly purchase and subsidies) could be answered to a new circumstances in a market economy. However, without radical reorganization of the livestock production, fundamental and qualitative changes in the field of livestock selection would not be possible to ensure the development of livestock production as economic activity. Thirdly, the low level of productivity in the livestock production caused by inadequate meals and feeding systems, inadequate breeding structure, difficulties in improving the economic buildings and so. Fourthly, excessive and uncontrolled imports of agricultural products and deficiency of the market structure which would serve for satisfying the needs of producers, wholesalers and retailers, for prices to be formed on the basis of competitions. The share of the livestock production in total agricultural production shows considerable falling behind the former period, as well as in relation with developed European countries. Recent years are characterized by considerable changes in the structure of Croatian agricultural production. The importance of the livestock production is decreased, so that production is in Croatian agricultural production structure represented in 1997 only with 32.8per cent of the total value, while in 1992 it was 44.4& of the total agricultural production value. Total number of cattle is decreased in 1997 for 378 thousand (45.6per cent), that is from 829 thousand (in 1990) to 443 thousand. No less unfavorable situation is in trends of other livestock number, as well. According to official statistical data, the total number of pigs in 1997 was 1176 thousand, that is 25.2per cent less than in 1990, those of sheep was 453 thousand, that is 39.7per cent less, and poultry 10954 thousand or 36.0per cent less than in 1990. At the same time, in 1997 the cattle production has realized 54 thousand tons (1991 – 76 thous. tons), pig production 166 thousand tons (1991 – 185 thous. tons), poultry 85 thousand tons (1991 – 98 thous. tons). It has been produced also 603 million liters of cow milk (1991 – 749 mill. liters) and 804 million of chicken eggs (1991 – 885 mill. pieces). Family farms are predominant part of the agricultural structure, regarding human, land and other resources, and they hold the total agricultural production. In their possession there was about 78per cent of arable land and more than 80per cent of livestock fund. The share of the family farms in livestock production was in 1991: cattle – 75per cent, horses – 100per cent, pigs – 66per cent, sheep – 95per cent, poultry – 50per cent and bee-hives – 100per cent. From livestock, the family farms mostly grow pigs (46per cent), cattle (38per cent), than sheep (7.4per cent) and horses (4.8per cent). The livestock production within the family farms in Croatia was dominating in 1997, and it has the important role. So the share of the family farms in total livestock fund was in 1997: cattle 88.7per cent, pigs 74.7per cent, sheep 96per cent and poultry 60.8per cent, and the same is in 1998. In the livestock production in Croatia, the greatest part of the farms lag behind those in EU by all criterions and measures, but there is some number of farms that by its structure and production results are at the level of the livestock production in EU. According to the results of the analysis and comparison of the basic characteristics of livestock production in Croatia with those in EU-15, it is necessary to point out the following: the average number of cows per one farm in Croatia is less than 3.5 times (the average in EU-15 is about 20 cows per farm). In the production of milk (as the most important product in EU market) in Croatia there is production of about 2300 liters per cow (within family farms it comes to about 3100 liters), while in EU-15 the average annual milk production is about 5000 liters per cow. EU-15 realizes in cattle production 7969 thousand tons annually, while in Croatia it is only 54 thousand tons (in 1997). EU-15 realizes in pig production 15960 thousand tons annually, and Croatia only 85697 tons (1997).

Livestock production; structure and indeks of production; family farms; EU-15

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