ifoam'96 Book of Abstracts 11th IFOAM Scientific Conference 11-15 August 1996, Copenhagen, Denmark

ECOWEB FRONT PAGE SUBJECT INDEX AUTHOR INDEX

Posters

Organic Family Farms in Croatia. P1; 13

1Association BIOS Zageb; 2,4,7,8,10,11Agricultural Faculty, Zagreb; 5,9Veterinary Faculty, Zagreb; 6Agricultural Ministry, Zagreb; 3,12Gemybusines firm, Zagreb

The Croatian regions which were devastated and looted during the war of aggression now face economic and demografic renewal. On the initiative of the BIOS Association, a team of experts elaborated an renovation program in which organic agriculture on family farms makes the basis of self-sustainable develpment. The program includes the organizing of production cooperatives which would horizontaly connect producers and would bevertically united by an firm, which would care for marketing and sales of the produce. The firm would also, trough its organizational units, provide for production input materials, extension and know-how services on the introduction of compatible side production ( goat, sheep,rabbit breeding, bee keeping, mushroom growing, production and processing of home made fruitjuices, apple vinegar etc.).
As great parts of the mentioned areas lie in touristically very attractive and prospective regions (Plitvice lakes, Zrmanja canyon, Lika and Velebit mountains, Dubrovnik riviera and others) it is to be expected that rural tourism will develop on those husbandries.
The program contains models of primary production trends with basic production and economic indicators. Here are some concise examples: A) Vegetable production oriented farm - arable area 6 ha, six-field crop rotation - production: 60 t vegetables, 7 t cereals grain, 20 t green clover forage and 5 t hay, 4 cows-16ooo l milk, 6 fattening pigs of a 1oo kg, 60 hens- 13200 eggs - average annual income 89 - 111000 Kn (100 Kn = 37 DM) - average annual earnings 67- 85000 KnB) Complex organic agricultur farm - arable area 15 ha, twel-field crop rotation - production: 60 t potatoes and vegetables, 20 t cereals grain, 30 t corngrain, 30 t grass and clover hay, 4.5 t soya beans, 5 t sunflower seed, 4 horses-2 colts, 10 cows - 40000 l milk and 2 heifers, 10 fattening pigs, 150 hens - 32000 eggs and 500 broilers. - average annual income 211-233000 Kn - average annual earnings 174-192000 Kn C) Milk production oriented farm - area: 15 ha (10 ha arableland, 5 ha pasture); 30 cows, 120 hens - production for marketing: 105000 l milk, 15 fattening heifers, 25500 eggs and 750 broilers - average annual income 222-259000 Kn - average annual earnings 178-204000 Kn D) Cow and calf meat production oriented farm -area: 50 ha pasture and plowland, 50 cows - production for marketing: 48 calvs of 250 kg, 8 cows of 600 kg - average annual income 240-277000 Kn -average annual earnings 177-248000 Kn Depending on the tendency and work capabilities on the family farms, complementary production and ruraltourism can be introduced, so to open possibilities of greater income and dependent earnings. If we take in the account all the other indirect advantages of organic farms, (lower out of farm inputs, environment protection, healt improvement of the population, significant diminution of the erosion of the unrenewable resources etc.) it becomes evident that such husbandry represents the foundation of sustainable development of these areas, and is conseqently getting a more and more pronounced interest and support by the state and financing authorities.

Cizek, J. & Znaor, D. (1994): Ecological Agriculture and development of Croatian Villages. Proceedings - Agriculture and food production in new european surroundings. Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb. p. 75-84.

Cizek, J. et al. (1992): Organic food production. The Croatian Farmer. Globus Zagreb 1992. p. 257-273.

Lampkin, N. (1994) Organic Farming and Agricultural Policy in western Europe. Proceedings - Avalon Fundation, Edens.