STUDY ON THE DAIRY COWS BREEDING IN FARMS FROM THE EASTERN CROSS-BORDER AREA OF ROMANIA

Abstract

The paper was meant to be an analysis of the actual number of bovines, type and size of holdings, technical endowment of the holdings, as well as the welfare norms of the animals in the Romanian cross-border area. The research took place between 2013 and 2015 in the Romanian, Ukrainian and Republic of Moldova cross-border area. The situation of the shelters in the Romanian cross-border area is the following: 5.6% of the holdings have accommodation spaces for one animal; 31.34% of the holdings have accommodation spaces for two animals (adult animal + youth); 3.7 % of the holdings have accommodation spaces for three animals (adults + youth); 1.98% of the holdings have accommodation spaces for four animals; 0.8 % of the holdings have accommodation spaces for five animals; 36.06 % of the holdings have accommodation spaces for adult + youth bovines and for equines; 21.11% of the holdings have accommodation spaces for bovines (adults + youth), ovine and swine. Among the 26 districts of the Odessa region, Ukraine, the number of cattle’s registered a slight increase in only 12 districts, with a decreasing number at the level of the total cross-border area. In the Republic of Moldova, the number of bovines for all categories of farms decreased. If on January 1st 2006 the total number represented 311 thousand pieces, including 217 thousand cows, on January 1st 2013 there were 191 thousand, respectively 134 thousand pieces or 38.5 respectively 38.2 % less. Situation in the agricultural sector in similar. The reduction of the total number of bovines, as well as of the total number of cows represented 50%. Starting with 2008, when referring to farms, we can mention an increasing trend of the complement of bovines, increased by 2.5 times on January 1st 2013 both for the total number, as well as for the number of cows. As regards the population’s farms, which comprise most of the complement, this decreases from year to year, from 291 thousands in 2006 to 180 thousands in 2013 or by 38.2%, including cows, from 209 thousands to 130 thousands or by 37.8%. We hereby ascertain that both in the Romanian cross-border area and in the Ukrainian and Republic of Moldova cross-border area, the assignment of the factors of production in the analyzed farms, of high or family-type complements, is under the actual need, as the current conditions, mainly the financial conditions, only allow the use of certain factors of production (race, fodder). If in Romania European financing contributed to the performance improvement, farmers in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova face high deficiencies.