1. Characteristics of Livestock Farming sector in Poland

Traditionally Polish farms were characterised by mixed type of farming, with a crop and livestock production. However, the significant decline in the total livestock number which took place after 1990 (table 1), resulted with a growing share of arable farms.

Table 1 Livestock number [in mln heads] and milk production in the period 1980 - 2001

Source: Statistical Yearbooks 1980-2000, Central Statistical Office (GUS)

The table 1 shows that over the period of last 20 years the total number of cattle, including cows, was reduced by about 50%. Reduction in number of cows was accompanied by average milk yields increase. Due to this the total milk production decrease was only 28% (Diagram 1 ).

Diagram 1. Milk production and number of cows in Poland in the years 1980-2000

Source: Statistical Yearbooks 1980-2000, Central Statistical Office (GUS)

Diagram 2 Number of sows and fatteners in Poland in the years 1980-2000

Source: Statistical Yearbooks 1980-2000, Central Statistical Office (GUS)

The decline in number of sows in the same period was 33%, but number of fatteners decreased by 18%, which suggests improved rate of piglets weaned from 1 sow

Sheep raising, in the past important especially in southern and central regions of Poland, almost disappeared from Polish farms (less than 9% of the 1980 sheep population in the year 2000). There are some horses still left in Polish farms, however in many cases they are kept for tradition or recreation reasons.

As a consequence of the reduction of livestock number the stocking density significantly dropped down from 82 LU/100 ha in 1980 to 44 LU/100 ha in the year 2000.

Diagram 3 Livestock stocking rate in the years 1980-2000 in Poland (LU/100 ha)

Source: Statistical Yearbooks 1980-2000, Central Statistical Office (GUS)

1.1.         Livestock farms in Poland

Of the total number of 1,8 million farms in Poland, holdings which might be considered as livestock farms amount for about 1,25 million. This figure is an approximation based on available Central Statistical Office (GUS) statistic data, after deducing from the whole number of farms those without livestock (arable farms) and farms with a small-scale poultry production.

In the official statistics all poultry keeping holdings are accounted as livestock farms, although a vast majority belongs to the cluster of small subsistence farms, with poultry kept for self-consumption. On the other hand the share of large, commercial poultry farms, in the total number of farms is less than 0,1%, that is why they were not discussed in the report. Although these farms are characterised by a great concentration of birds and produce large amounts of manure, usually they are well equipped with manure storage facilities. It might be assumed that the most of poultry manure produced at large poultry farms (due to its high nutritional value) is sold out as a fertiliser. It was concluded then, that both from the economic and environmental perspective manure production from the poultry sector is not significant in the country scale and might be excluded from the analyses.

The report concentrates on three basic types of farms which in Polish livestock farming sector are the main sources of animal wastes: cattle, pig and mixed farms. This distinction is required because of specific features of these farms, including livestock concentration, differences in animals keeping systems, amounts of wastes produced as well as the financial condition of farms. There is no precise statistic data, however, on the number of farm types and distribution of livestock between specific types.

For the purpose of the report an attempt has been made to allocate the total number of livestock between farm types, which differ by size, type of animal production and livestock concentration. Furthermore, in calculations of farm incomes farm types are also split into clusters according to the soil quality.

The estimation was based on general information provided by GUS on the scale of cattle and pig production in farms of different sizes (Table 2 -Table 3 ).

Table 2 Farms of different size clusters according to the scale of pig production (all farms with pigs)

Source: Statistical Yearbooks 1980-2000, Central Statistical Office (GUS)

Table 3 Farms of different size clusters according to the number of cows (all farms with cows)

Source: Statistical Yearbooks 1980-2000, Central Statistical Office (GUS)

Value of this information is limited, because both groups of animals on livestock farms are counted separately, without specifying a number of farms with mixed cattle and pig production. It also distinguishes farms of different size according to the range of number of animals kept only, whilst more precise data on livestock numbers (stocking rates) and structure, which is needed, is not available.

In order to generate a more detailed “map” of livestock farms in Poland, for estimation some assumptions have been made based on the following characteristics of Polish livestock farming sector:

·        Mixed type of farming (combining dairy, pig and crop production) is the most common for the majority of livestock farms in Poland. It is characteristic mainly for the small (less than 10 ha) and medium size farms (10-20 ha);

·        In the group of mixed farms share of cattle is on average greater than pigs;

·        The share of specialised dairy or pig farms is the highest in the group of larger farms, with dairy placed mainly in upper clusters of farm sizes;

·        Stocking rates, measured in Livestock Units (LU)[1] per hectare, are the highest in the smallest farms, and diminishing on average along with the decrease of farm size.

The coefficients applied for splitting the whole population of livestock farms into the desired farm types refer to the above-indicated assumptions and were derived partially from the analysis of the sample of 608 commercial family farms[2], with necessary adjustments based on experts’ knowledge.

The accuracy of the estimation might be certainly questioned. It should be emphasised, however, that the goal was to distinguish farm types dominating in Polish livestock farming in terms of their share in farm structure, land use and scale of animal production. The approximate structure of farms of selected types and sizes clusters is presented in the synthesised form in table 4.

Table 4 Approximate livestock farms structure of different types in Poland 

Source: Own estimates based on available GUS statistical data

            For generic farm types (cattle, pig and mixed) three levels of animal production scale were distinguished: small (less then 7 LU per pig farm and less then 10 LU per cattle farm), medium (more then 7/10 LU and below 30 LU) and large (above 30 LU).

In the whole population of livestock farms the smallest ones (below 5 ha) constitute 43% of the total number of farms, however their share in the number of livestock (LU) is only 17% and in land use even less – 14%. Livestock is concentrated in Poland mainly in a group of farms ranging from 5 to 10 hectares. Their share in the number of farms is about 50%, in livestock production (LU) 63%, and in the land use about 55%. These farms might be considered as of the greatest importance form the perspective of potential environmental threats and the scale of investments in animal wastes storage facilities investments. The group of largest farms (above 20 ha), contributing to 20% of population of farms, operates 32% of agricultural land, but due to the lower stocking rates, their share in livestock number is only 20%.

            Basing upon the on the structure of the entire population of livestock farms the most important farm types were identified as presented in the Figure 2 .

Single farm types are marked with the colours (shadows). Empty boxes (not shadowed) inform that a specific farm type does not exist in Polish farming sector, or is represented in practice by a very small number of farms.

A dark colour (shadow) indicates the most significant or the most representative farm types, identified by the simultaneous use of the criteria of 0,25% of share in the total area of agricultural land the livestock farms operate on, and 0,25% of share in the total number of Livestock Units (LU). The farms which don’t meet those criteria were marked with light yellow colour (light shadow).

For simplification the most representative farms belonging to neighbouring farm size clusters were combined into one farm type. For instance, from cattle farms with 1-2 heads per farm and farms size ranging from 1 to 5 hectares 1 farm type was formed. It is justified by the use of similar technologies on those farms, as well as the patterns of livestock keeping. The set of these farm types amounts for 44 types, which should be multiplied by 2 types of soil quality conditions – again for simplification good and poor soils were distinguished. In total, 88 farm types, as it is estimated, represent 85% of Livestock Units number, 84% of farms and 75% of agricultural land operated by farms with animal production.

Financial results and costs of installing facilities for animal wastes storage has been calculated for all 88 farm types. Results of calculations for the 12 most common farm types, which represent almost 50% of LU are presented in details the report.

Figure 2 Farm types according to the agriculture land area, heard size and type of animal production and their share in the total number of LU in Poland (estimated)

[1] Livestock Unit (LU) – an animal weighting 500 kg (a cow).

[2] Majewski E. Ekonomiczno-organizacyjne uwarunkowania rozwoju systemu integrowanej produkcji rolniczej (SIPR) w Polsce (Economic and organisational aspects of Integrated Production dissemination in Poland), in printing, manuscript, Farm Management Department, SGGW 2002.