An investigation of the profitability of cattle fattening in a Somogy county enterprise

Csonka, Arnold – Kemény, Gábor

The decision to alter the variety of female breeding cattle stock, based on measurements carried out on two age groups, proved justified from a fattening viewpoint.

Based on an analysis of feeding costs, we can definitely state that in cattle fattening, poor quality, unrealistically low yielding and, therefore, exceptionally expensive mass fodder is unacceptable. This is still true if the acknowledged high production cost contributes to the results of other sectors. It is not even justified for cropland with special natural properties, as with appropriate technology and attention yield was doubled, even on plots with poor productive capacity. Deliberate, expert mass fodder cultivation is the basic prerequisite of successful production.

Support for special beef cattle is also a significant component of success in this activity without which, under fixed conditions, the activity will be loss making. The significant economic burden, which cattle fattening represents as a component of general expenditure and which expense item cannot be influenced by those directing and organising the sector, also plays a large part in this.

We determined a significant, negative correlation between final fattened weight and the uniform price of net mass. 54-55.6% of sales mass determines the uniform price of purchased body mass. Despite this the examination of each fattening group showed that fattening to high weights is justified; in accordance with the principles stated in geissler and neumann (1971), bulls with relatively higher mass, set up for fattening and then sold in lower mass, do not achieve the same results as their weightier counterparts. Due to the extra costs of the protracted fattening period, however, sales above 650 kg of live weight are not recommended. A rethink of practise to date (bulls representing a wide range of mass options being sold at low weights) and the conducting of optimisation calculations are recommended for the improvement of results achieved by bulls sold early on. This however, is beyond the scope of this current study.

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