Abstract

After decoupling EU income support, normal Swedish systems for suckler cow-based beef production are unable to pay the costs of new investments and market wages for labour. New production systems, able to achieve full cost coverage, were identified by an expert panel. The two most profitable suggestions can be characterized as 'organic with high environmental grants and premium price for beef' and 'conventional with outdoor wintering of cows'. Both systems presuppose the availability of large areas of semi-natural pasture per cow and larger herd sizes than are now common in Sweden. Breeding progress and other biological improvements could only marginally improve the profitability.

Keywords

beef production; grazing; production systems; forest-dominated regions; profitability

Published in

Outlook On Agriculture
2011, Volume: 40, number: 2, pages: 131-138
Publisher: I P PUBLISHING LTD

SLU Authors

• Salevid, Pernilla

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Kumm, Karl-Ivar

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns


UKÄ Subject classification

Veterinary Science
Animal and Dairy Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5367/oa.2011.0037

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/57057