Annex identification of different global production systems and their relative productivity
Table 4. Characteristics of intensive horticultural systems
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- Main environmental concerns
- 1.2 Extensive livestock systems
- 1.2.1 Extensive beef and sheep grazing
Table 4. Characteristics of intensive horticultural systems
1.2 Extensive livestock systemsIn 2005, 7.8 million agricultural holdings were recorded in the EU-27 (European Commission, 2008a). Just under a half of these (46.6 %) were located in Romania and Poland together. 46% of the EU-27’s agricultural holdings were semi-subsistence small units and in Slovakia (81.2%), Hungary (78.3%), Bulgaria (77.9%) and Romania (71.0%), this share was greater (European Commission 2008). These can be compared with systems in developing countries such as in smallholder rainfed highland systems, where herds can be as small as 1 or 2 head of livestock, such as in China’s Gansu Province (Nolan et al., 2008). 1.2.1 Extensive beef and sheep grazingMuch beef and sheep meat production in the EU can be classified as extensive. In many Member States, beef cattle are turned out to graze in the spring after being housed during the winter, depending on the climate of a country. They are then left out until autumn before being brought in again. The time that cattle spend outdoors will depend on grass growing conditions and the weather. For instance, in the UK, some farmers bring their animals in overnight for a period after turning them out in the spring, and this may also happen as the time for bringing cattle in for the winter approaches. Cattle are turned out earlier in the South than in the North. Cattle being finished prior to slaughter are often housed inside or in straw yards (Webb et al., 2009). As well as access to grazing on some systems, ruminant livestock are fed on forage diets (such as silage) or compound feeds which can be brought in, or produced on-farm from home grown cereals, sometimes mixed with other, imported ingredients. Cereal-based beef production systems tend to develop where the climate limits or halts grass growth in the summer, as well as in areas where cereals grow abundantly. Of the 9 million agricultural holdings in EU-27 in 2005, 75% had less than 5 livestock units (LSU) and could be classified as extensive. The lowest livestock densities can be found in Slovakia and the Baltic Member States. In Canada, only 17% of all land is used for agriculture. Two-thirds of this is used for the grazing of cattle, thus representing an extensive farming system. The prairie regions have low crop yields due to lack of precipitation. Similarly, cattle farming in Australia is considered extensive with 58% of land being used for rough grazing. Sheep and cattle stations are large, comprising 10,000-50,000 animals (Agribusiness, 2009). Grassy areas of plateau and river basins in Brazil provide grazing for cattle, however two-thirds of the country is covered with forest (Agribusiness, 2009). Sheep tend to spend most of their lives outdoors, being brought indoors only during winter in some cases. However, under some production systems in parts of Europe, flocks may be housed on a more permanent basis, whether kept for the production of meat or milk. Ewes will often be brought inside for lambing, especially if they are doing so early in the year and if the weather is particularly cold or wet. Lambs spend relatively little time in housed accommodation due to the majority being born when grass has begun to grow again and sufficient grazing being available. Animals may also be housed temporarily for management purposes such as tagging and shearing or to relieve stress on grazing pastures. Globally, livestock grazing accounts for a quarter of total land area. Extensive pasture provides 30% of total beef production and 23% for mutton (FAO, 2003a). In developing countries extensive grazing systems have typically increased production through rising herd sizes rather than by increasing productivity. However, the market share from such extensive systems is declining in comparison to other production systems. This is due to the reducing availability of land, through arable land encroachment and land degradation as a result of population increase. This limits the potential for further increasing herd numbers in these systems (FAO, 2003a).
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