The role of main fodder area as a factor limiting the development of farms under conditions of sustainable agriculture. A case study from the Podkarpacie region (southern Poland, Western Carpathians)

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn the age of globalization and specialization of agricultural production, the crop and livestock farming system is fully justified, particularly in piedmont regions where mixed farming predominates. This is especially important in local areas with specific terrain relief, a variable climate and difficult farming conditions. The aim of the study was to determine the relationships linking the size of the main fodder area and its breakdown by the type of fodder with possibilities for development of farms in a sustainable farming system, taking into account optimization of beef cattle production. No excessive cattle stocking density per ha of agriculture land (AL) or main fodder area (MFA) was observed on any of the farms analyzed. The cattle stocking density per ha AL ranged from 0.52 in group III to 0.90 in group I, while the density per ha MFA ranged from 0.72 in group III to 1.80 in group I, which was confirmed by the stocking density per ha AL. The size of the main fodder area was found to increase with the area of the farm. In the context of sustainability of production, it is interesting that the percentage of arable land in the MFA did not exceed 30% in any of the groups.