The influence of chosen factors and regions on size and productivity of fodder area in farms specializing in milk cattle breeding

Abstract

This paper identifies and  makes analysis of  the impact of chosen  seven factors on the size and productivity of fodder area in 24 farms of the Lublin region specializing in milk cattle breeding within four years. The level of direct cost per 1 unit of fodder area as well as the share of purchased  bulky fodders in fodder balance of those farms  mainly  influenced the size of fodder area per 1 big  cattle head. As far as cows  milk efficiency is concerned, it had the slightest impact on the differentiation level of the analysed fodder area  size. Both the share of purchased bulky fodders in farms’ fodder balance  and the level of direct cost per fodder area ha greatly  influenced  differentiation of  the analysed fodder area productivity levels.  Moreover, the paper identifies and examines coefficients characterizing fodder area in 10 farms specializing in milk cattle breeding in the Bieszczady Mountains region  analogically to the  Lublin region. The size of fodder area per 1 big unit cattle  head in Bieszczady region was on average higher by about 12.8% and the efficiency of that area measured in cereal units was on average lower by about 21.0% comparing to analogical coefficients in the surveyed farms of the Lublin region.