Potential impacts of the CAP reform (2003) and its various options for application to suckler cattle farms

The last CAP reform is an extension of the 1992 reform, itself confirmed by Agenda 2000 in the decoupling of direct aid for production. In order to see adaptations of suckler-cow farms, simulations of various options for application of the reform were made for the main cases of farm businesses: more or less intensive breeders or breeders/fatteners of bull calves and steers, with varying quantities of crops, from the 3 areas of Charolais, Limousin and Pays de Loire. After adaptation at stable prices, globally maintained support and at constant surface areas, the trends that emerge show the weak impact on economic results, crop reduction to make way for meadows and cattle, an increase in the number of cows after a reduction in the reference situation, maintenance of female finishing with price ratios between categories in 1998, and male fattening which was more difficult but maintained in certain options in the producer-fattener systems studied