engleski

Agricultural Consultancy, Services and Agricultural Education for Family Farming – View in the Future

The main characteristics of agriculture in the past thirty years in Croatia are the constant fall in number of family farms and labour force, fragmentation of land, increase of nonfarm activities and ageing of farm population. Limitations hindering development of family farms and agriculture caused inadequate exploitation of resources in agriculture with unfavourable effect on economic development of this sector, its productivity, demographic, production and socioeconomic structure, etc. Demographic and socio-economic consequences of the accelerated process of deagrarization have been manifested through unfavourable age, sex, and educational structure of (agricultural) population, increased disparity between agricultural and nonagricultural income, nonuniform regional development of agriculture, etc. According to the last Census (1991) Croatia had 534 thousand more or less tradicional family farms. About one - third of total number farms is below one hectare, and only a very small fraction (2.5%) of farms are above ten hectares. They are still predominantly using traditional production methods. The main reason of this is the fact that the agricultural education system (schooling, knowledge) till 1990 had been in function of so-called socially-owned agricultural sector (combinates,estates). On the other side the youth (particularly farmers children) who had been finished the agricultural schools and faculties had employed of family farm or left holding. More than two-third (67.6 %) of agricultural labour force in 1991 had not finished elementary school, under 10% had studied beyond elementary school, what is generally unfavourable for development of family farms, application of modern tehnology and fuller use of product resources. Namely, more than 80 % of agricultural labour force are farmers. Orientation to market economy as also the new measures of agricultural policy endeavour to induce forming of larger market-oriented and specialised producers. In achieving this objective, particular emphasis would be given to the family farms. The development of family farms (other words transformation traditional farms) depends on of the programmes for knowledge promotion and introduction into agricultural production. In this process undeniably role has agricultural extension services and agricultural education. One of the first measure of agricultural policy in Croatia, was decision on founding agricultural consultancy services (ACS), established 1991. In January 1997 ACS transformed in autonomous institution as a Croatian Administration of Agricultural Consultancy Services (CAACS). The main activities of CAACS are: professional advices, instructions and practical demonstrations of the new technologyes and farming systems as well as transmision knowledge and skills for development of agricultural production of the family farms and sustainable; linking and coordination scientifics and professional institutions and associations in manageing of the applied research and education for the farmers. According to the report from 17 December 1998, the total number of employed experts was 149. Specialised area of these advisers are: Agricultural economics 5; Farm machinery 2; Arable and crop production 39; Livestock production 38; Horticulture 1; Crop protection 17; Viticulture 45; Fishery 1 and Veterinary medicine 1. They are distributed on 21 Counties. The important role in the development of family farming has agriculture school system. The double system of agriculture in the past, has certainly reflected on the present system of education in agriculture, particularly education of experts for high school and university qualification. In Croatia there are 24 medium agricultural schools, one high agricultural school and two agricultural faculties (colleges). School (study) curricula are still not enough adjusted to the modern need (as circumstances required) in education specialists for ACS, producers (farmers), specialists for processing and trade, etc. Therefore, it is very important to spread and make rich school curricula with knowledge of all branches of agriculture, and particularly knowledge in economic of production, marketing, bookkeeping, management of farm, and similar. To increase the level of education of farmers and faster application of new technologies on family farms, it is need to organised institutions for additional education in agriculture (the system of instructing farmers) as well as other form of education (training, experimental farm, and similar ) under the control of ACS. Agricultural education is the key factors in the future development of family farming. Therefore it must be adjusted dynamically nature of scientifically-technological achievement in agriculture.

agricultural consultancy services; agricultural education; family farm

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