GRANADA WORKSHOP REPORT 6.

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Current trends in animal production practices in southern European systems

George Zervas

Department of Animal Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens,
Iera Odos 75, GR- 118 55 Athens, Greece

The most common form of traditional farming in Southern European Countries (SEC) is extensive rearing of sheep and goats, for milk and / or meat, and beef cattle with the livestock often herded in mixed flocks. This system covers much of the grazing land and is especially significant for nature conservation of hill and mountain areas. Together with early woodland clearances and sporadic forest fires, low intensity livestock rearing is responsible for the mosaic of evergreen scrub, conifer forest and rough pasture which characterises much of the grazed area of the SEC. These "grazing areas" are vegetated with grass, shrubs, shrubs + forest with grass understory and forest with grass understory. Thus, a proportion of this area is more suited for sheep and cattle grazing, while other parts are better suited to goats (as browsers). Furthermore, some land is usually left fallow for one or more years and is used for grazing, mainly by sheep. Arable systems are often combined with seasonal grazing by sheep on stubbles and fallows. In many regions, extensive livestock systems make use of (or even depend upon) some form of common or public grazing land, usually of low productivity. The sources of forage include not only pasture, grass meadows and coarser forms of semi-natural vegetation, but also woodland in some areas. Some systems involve the cultivation of certain forage crops such as alfalfa and vetch (for hay-making), and traditional cereals (barley, oats). Maize forage is usually associated with more intensive systems (for silage-making).

Overgrazing has been identified as a severe problem, particularly in the lowlands, while in other areas, undergrazing can be a problem, particularly in mountain regions where livestock numbers are falling. The biomass produced in these undergrazed, or even ungrazed, regions has become a significant fire hazard.

There are certain environmental, socioeconomic and technical limitations in SEC which are, to some extent, the main constraints for success and which also explain, in a way, the current trends in animal production practices. The percentage of Utilized Agricultural Area (UAA) suitable for grassland is less than 50% in SEC with an output at farm level of about 1,000 kg DM/ha, while in Northern European Countries (NEC) this percentage is over 50% with 8,000 kg DM/ha. This yield potential reflects extensive and intensive pasture use at farm level in SEC and NEC, respectively. Thus, the estimated share of grassland in total energy requirements of ruminant animals in SEC is much lower (from 30 to 55%) compared with that of NEC (from 47 to 97%).

Environmental factors such as precipitation, temperature and soil/land conditions, combined with fertilisation of the grassland, are the major yield determinants. The permanent grazings of the southern European zone are subject to moisture stress with low annual production, zero fertilisation, very short grazing period and with stocking rates from the equivalent of 0.25 LU/ha in Portugal to as little as 0.05 LU/ha in the poorer forest ranges of Greece.

The limited availability of fodder makes ruminant farmers more dependent on conserved forage feeds and more reliance on supplementary feeding which consequently makes it hard to achieve satisfactory economic results. In many pastoral areas which previously were grazed on a seasonal basis, there has been a tendency toward more sedentary systems for many years. This development often involves an overall increase in stocking density over the course of a year, achieved either by intensification of fodder production on the holding, or as a result of increasing dependence on purchased feeds. There has been a massive increase in the production and sale of dried fodder, mainly alfalfa hay. The use of supplementary feeds often permits farmers to carry more stock during the winter, which may lead to local overgrazing. On the other hand, the decline in transhumance has resulted in an overall reduction in grazing pressure in the traditional summer pastures in mountain regions.

The main factors which limit the possibilities of expansion and make these small holdings suffer the most severe financial constraints are:

• the small size of farms (the number of animals and the available land area per farm),
• the high land prices (competition of land from more economically viable crops),
• state ownership of rangelands with the current legislation of land tenure,
• the low genetic potential (low productivity) of some traditional breeds still used,
• inadequate nutrition (nutritional fluctuations and imbalances),
• inefficiency or inexistance of cooperative ventures between rural production and retailing enterprises,
• inadequate value-adding activities, such as regional and eco-labeling, on farm processing and marketing combined with an inefficient milk processing industry and a poorly-organized market.

Economic results obtained from extensive farming are not very encouraging up to now, and farmers' income depends largely on subsidies, regardless of stocking rate. In most cases, it seems that intensive exploitation, located mainly on the lowlands, with its high level of specialisation and integration of productive and well-organised processes, gives better economic results and leaves little room for extensification, as any change in one or more production factors would affect the economic return.

Intensification, therefore, of the operation appears a valid option as long as it is consistent with satisfactory flock management and good hygiene of the animals. Extensive cattle, sheep and goat husbandry, operating under conditions with pronounced traditional characteristics, do not require excessive capital for feeding and housing, has the advantage of mobility and of being to a considerable degree independent of expensive borrowed money and thus more easily meets the needs in difficult periods and under unstable market conditions. The best economic management of farm enterprises of this category can be achieved by increasing flock size and improving the management and quality of natural rangelands.

The problems of the sheep and goat sectors stem from their structure and from the traditional framework within which they operate. The large numbers of units, often of complementary nature, makes the implementation of even simple improvement programs or new technical applications difficult. The future problem of sheep and goat farming, has also social dimensions which are associated with the unavailability of labour. This harsh profession offers no attractive elements to the young people since mechanisation and technology cannot solve all the problems of extensive ruminant farming.

Furthermore, the agricultural population is SEC is declining and the retiring farmers are not being replaced. Nevertheless, the stock numbers (sheep, goats, beef cattle) are rather constant. The younger farmers look to more intensive farming systems, often with high total invested farm capital for modern housing and equipment (milking machine, small cheese making plant etc.), new and more productive breeds, and higher living standards for their families. Support measures should seek a more balanced approach to rural development, taking into account the broad spectrum of social, cultural and educational needs of the farming communities, as well as the production and marketing of their products.

Today, it is extremely difficult to persuade young people to practice extensive livestock farming in upland areas where there is no social life. Under these circumstances, a new strategy is needed to face the problems and the disadvantages of the semi-intensive and intensive livestock production systems used. However, effective protection measures should be taken in order to guarantee environmental sustainability and habitat diversity.

These measures include:

• estimation of the appropriate stocking density in each case,
• development of more efficient extensive grazing systems,
• extension of fallow periods in the cultivated land,
• fencing of some patches to be protected from grazing,
• very low use of agrochemicals and fertilizers,
• encouragement for forage crops cultivation (like alfalfa, vetch etc.) instead of cereal crops (wheat, barley) with support regimes,
• cultivation of the abandoned areas with forage crops in order to reduce the stocking pressure on the grazed land,
• delayed cutting dates of grass for hay making ….etc.

A grassland premium could also be offered to farmers according to the environmental values which they maintain or create, bur this issue needs research to define these environmental values in each case.

Apart from technical support on the matters mentioned above, pilot projects should be introduced and financed, and advice should be given to farmers on value-adding activities and on-farm processing and marketing of animal origin products. Such initiatives will give job opportunities, particularly for women, better social life, higher income and real rural development.

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