Increasing cows\u27 milking capacity - basic task of dairy husbandry in Croatia

Usitnjenost gospodarstava, mali posjedi s malim brojem krava, neprikladno držanje i njega krava, slabija plodnost i higijena vimena, slaba i neuravnotežena hranidba, propusti pri otkupu mlijeka i nedostatak poticajnih mjera, uzroci su niske proizvodnje mlijeka, unatoč znatno većim genetskim sposobnostima krava. Mali viškovi mlijeka u gospodarstvima su na izvjestan način opravdanje uz uvoz veće količine mlijeka, što još više smanjuje interes za domaću proizvodnju i otkup mlijeka. Sadašnja cijena s premijom može pokrivati troškove proizvodnje mlijeka, ali u tu svrhu treba: tehnološki unaprijediti držanje i proizvodnju krava do najviše mliječnosti i godišnje reprodukcije, omogućiti držanje većeg broja krava u gospodarstvima, povećati površine za proizvodnju krme, posvetiti posebnu pozornost hranidbi i proizvodnji kvalitetnih i jeftinijih vlastitih krmiva, interesno povezati proizvođače mlijeka stručnom suradnjom i poticajnim mjerama, a na tržištu treba promicati veću potrošnju mlijeka u ljudskoj prehrani. Veća količina mlijeka dobivena u otkupu smanjit će prosječne troškove skupljanja i prijevoza mlijeka, popuniti proizvodne kapacitete mljekara, smanjiti interes za veći uvoz mlijeka i pomoći razvoju govedarstva, što je gospodarski interes Hrvatske.Dairy husbandry is considered, in our conditions, as poorly economic branch of cattle-raising. The reason being the fragmentation of peasants husbandry and rising just few cows. More cows are raised on bigger properties, but it is always linked to intensive cattle-raising, feeding and cow\u27s exploatation. Often cows having excellent milk production capacity in ordinary conditions of raising and feeding, in average poor milk production, and owing to it not realize planned income. In Republic of Croatia total milk production is about 581,700.000 l (data for 1994) or average of 1676 l/cow and year. Only about 42% of produced milk or 245,000.000 l is bought off. The increasing of cows capacity for milk production would increase market milk, surpluses and fill up dairies production capacities and eliminate the import of necessary milk quantities. The import of bigger milk quantity (67,990.000 l in 1994) as well as poorly organized milk buying off do not stimulate bigger home production in spite of existing genetic capacity for higher milk production in our herds. Objectively one should say: is milk price low or is our milk production expensive, uneconomical, unorganized and primitive not being able to give bigger income? In this one should point out mostly feeding participating 50-60% in milk production costs expenses. The feeding in cattle-raising should be treated with the largest attention owing to the fact that cattle make good use of the largest quantity of pasture, not expensive green, rough and voluminous feeds, by-products of industrial and agricultural production, silage and similar fodder. Cattle-raising should be developed only along with feeding with products from own agricultural surfaces, and for all that one must not neglect the interest, needs and market proximity and the decission to produce milk and meet should be taken. The most expensive are first milked litres milk as their price should cover all costs of maintainable fodder, of health maintenance and cows\u27 good fertility, all investments for constructions, technique, selection, breeding and reproduction. The production starts not before realizing income more than 7-10 l milk/day are milked. Compensation for supplementary fodder is found if the price of 1 kg of vigorous fodder is not under the price of 1 litre milk and one should feed 1 kg of mixed fodder blend to get two more litres milk