THE POSSIBILITIES OF SHEEP-KEEPING IN MAINTAINING THE POPULATION AND PROTECTING THE REGION OF NORTH HUNGARY
Marselek, Sándor
Gyöngyös College of Agriculture
Gyöngyös, Hungary
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ABSTRACT
North-eastern Hungary is in a disadvantageous situation after social and economic changes affected the area in the previous years. Pollution and unemployment are high, the work force is poorly qualified.
For retaining the population, working places must be created and cultural characteristics of the region are to be taken into consideration. Some of the problems of the area could be solved by promoting crops with a high labor demand and sheep breeding.
Agricultural production and animal stocks have registered a sharp decrease in northern Hungary. Sheep breeding virtually disappeared from the hilly regions and, what is worse, nothing took its place.
There have been attempts to develop sheep breeding but these development concepts have not been successful yet. The extreme variability in the agricultural market and the lack of available financial support left the development of sheep breeding farms hopeless and led to organizational changes, too. Thus, sheep breeding became one of the activities of private farms dealing with different agricultural areas.
After large agricultural companies were terminated their animal stocks were split too and, as a result, the level and the quality of the production were lowered. In sheep breeding this process is demonstrated by the decrease in the number of ewes.
These negative changes are very unfortunate if we consider that quality sheep products are well saleable and that sheep is the species which sustains the cultural status of grasslands. Grazing will not let bushes grow and will define (through selective grazing) the composition of the given grassland leading finally to the formation of a continuous and compact grass cover. By monitoring carefully the intensity of grazing, extreme grazing situations can be avoided.
It is to be noted that market oriented economies do not always favour the aforementioned goals. Therefore, a systematic intervention by the state is needed, without which an appropriate development of sheep breeding is not achievable.
The economic and financial outcome of sheep breeding is not to be exaggerated. It would be better to state that sheep breeding will retain population through its landscape management value and the attraction it represents for rural tourists.
If sheep stocks in northern counties were tripled jobs, would be created for approximately 1000 people in animal husbandry and additional jobs would arise in processing related industries. Grazing grounds and forage bases for this are given. It would be advantageous if environment friendly sheep breeding programmes were included in national grants and local governments allocated funds for this purpose in their respective budgets.
Based on statistical data and personal experience I will try to give viable solutions to solving the problems of sheep breeding in northern counties.
Similar EU programmes could be followed so that Hungarian agriculture will not have to update drastically at a later point in time.
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The region of North Hungary extends from the westernmost parts of the Cserhát Mountains to the River Tisza. It embraces Nógrád, Heves and Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén Counties, and includes four of the natural regions of the country, namely the Northern Highland (except for the Börzsöny Mountains), the Heves sand-ridge, the Heves-Borsod flood area, Taktaköz and Bodrogköz. Its area is 13430 km2, which is 14.4 percent of the area of Hungary. As far as the population is concerned, 12.7 percent of Hungary's inhabitants live in the region.
The region has varied geological features and is rich in minerals. The mean temperature is somewhat lower than the Hungarian average, consequently spring begins two or three weeks later compared with the south of Hungary. The annual precipitation, however, is above the average in and close to the mountains. The dominant soil type of the region is brown forest soil. The extent of erosion and its destroying effect is significant. The three counties of North Hungary give 9 percent of the country's GDP, which is rather low if compared to its area and population.
The region of North Hungary has a great variety of agricultural possibilities. While its southern territories that belong to the Plain are suitable for growing wheat and corn, the feet of the mountains have been famous wine-districts for centuries, and the hilly parts are ideal for fruit-production, forest and game management. The region has wonderful touristic potentials. The grouping of the North-Hungarian economic districts are presented in Picture 1 (after A. Fehér, 1996).
Relatively well-developed district
District in average position, but crisis-sensitive
District of potential crisis
District of regional crisis
1.Cserehát / 7. Foot of Tokaj Hill / 13. Foot of Mátra and Bükk2. Hernád-Valley / 8. Bodrogköz / 14. Heves sand-ridge
3. Sajó-Bódva Valley / 9. Bodrögköz / 15. Heves part of Central Tisza Region
4. Borsod Hills / 10. Hegyköz and Zempléni Mountains / 16. Foot of Mátra
5. Bükkalja / 11. Cserhát-Mátra / 17. Cserhát
6. South Borsod / 12. Southern slopes of Mátra and Bükk / 18. Ipoly Valley
Picture 1. Grouping of Economic Districts in North Hungary
Source: Fehér A. (1996)
The districts of potential and regional crisis shown in the map have significant pastures that are not used.
Due to the social and economic changes of recent years, North Hungary has been put into a disadvantageous position. There are high rates of environmental pollution and unemployment registered in the region. One of the main problems is the high number of unqualified workforce. Thus, it is a very important task to raise the level of qualification for the active workforce.
In recent years, a great number of agricultural and industrial workers have been made redundant, which has significantly increased unemployment. The lack of jobs forces active wage-earners to commute (Picture 2). The ratio of daily commuting wage-earners is 35.4 percent in the three examined counties, while the average of the 19 counties is only 28.4 percent.
under 20% between 30 and 35%
between 20 and 25% between 35 and 40%
between 25 and 30% over 40%
Source: Central Office of Statistics
Picture 2. The ratio of daily commuting active wage-earners in the 19 counties of
Hungary (%)
The extent of unemployment is presented in Table 1.
Table 1. The extent of unemployment
County / 1990(person) / 1996
(person) / 1990/1996 %
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén / 9385 / 57 400 / 611
Heves / 2946 / 17 300 / 587
Nógrád / 5094 / 15 500 / 304
Source: Central Office of Statistics
The above mentioned negative tendencies encourage the migration of population to other regions of the country, which may cause the destroying of villages, uncultivated lands and the disappearance of the cultural landscape.
To maintain the population, the cultural character of the region must be preserved and new jobs must be created. The problems could partly be solved by increasing the role of labour-demanding agricultural work, by using the possibilities of sheep-keeping.
Unfortunately, the live-stock and the agricultural production of the region has drastically diminished. Sheep have almost disappeared from our hills, and they have not been replaced by anything else. The past few years saw a significant decrease of the number of live-stock, especially ewes. Compared to the rest of the country, our region has been more and more backward in this respect, too.
These changes are particularly regretful because of the high prices of quality sheep products in the market. The live-stock, especially sheep can play an important role in maintaining the good condition of grasslands. Grazing prevents shrubs from growing, and plays a significant role in maintaining the cultivated condition of grasslands. Sheep choose certain plants when grazing, thus influencing the composition of the flora. As a consequence, a lawn consisting of low plants is created. By defining the intensity of grazing, over- and under-grazing can easily be avoided. Table 2 shows the changes in ewe-stock.
Table 2. Changes in the number of ewes
County / Number of ewes1986 / 1991 / 1993 / 1995 / 1996
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén / 129 985 / 111 779 / 87 897 / 70 046 / 66 200
Heves / 36 537 / 33 818 / 25 321 / 16 121 / 14 772
Nógrád / 24 736 / 24 980 / 17 657 / 12 926 / 11 801
Source: Sheep Product Council
As figures indicate, the sheep-stock decreased by half in 10 years. The number of sheep-keepers shows a particularly sharp decrease between 1991 and 1993 (Table 3).
Table 3. The number of sheep-keepers (person)
County / The number of sheep-keepers (person)1991 / 1993
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén / 1601 / 434
Heves / 1046 / 160
Nógrád / 824 / 163
Total: / 3471 / 757
Source: Sheep Product Council
In my opinion, it is a most unfavourable fact that the number of people employed in agriculture and animal-keeping has decreased enormously in such a short period of time. It would be advisable to turn our attention to the renewable resources of agriculture. Otto Habsburg (1997) said, “our politicians, economic experts and scientists should concentrate on the problem of renewable resources and their greater utilization. They should do their best to have enough farmers when the clock of truth strikes - and this moment is approaching - in order to use the great possibilities of the future”.
Recognizing the importance of sheep, there have been several experiments for the development of sheep-breeding in Hungary. But, unfortunately, these concepts have not been successful so far. The internationally unprecedented opening of the price scissors (i.e. the growing gap between the prices of agricultural and industrial products) and the great reduction of investment funding have made the development of sheep-farms impossible. These tendencies, together with some other factors, have lead to the changes in operating forms.
Sheep have become the animals of private farms with mixed profiles. This fact has several advantages and disadvantages as well. By the disappearance of large-scale plants, live-stock have been split up into small parts. These changes have a highly negative effect on the volume and quality of production. The decreased number is also regretful because there are vast territories of unused grasslands in the region (Table 4).
Table 4. Division of land (1995) (1000 hectares)
County / Total / Arable land / Grassland / Forest / OtherBorsod-Abaúj-Zemplén / 702.3 / 274.8 / 134.9 / 174.6 / 118.0
Heves / 377.1 / 162.3 / 42.9 / 112.2 / 59.7
Nógrád / 257.4 / 86.9 / 37.7 / 104.4 / 28.4
Source: Central Office of Statistics
According to the figures, the ratio of ewes is 0.43 ewe per one hectare of grassland. Taking a minimum of 2 ewes per hectare, the grasslands of the three counties would be able to support 431000 ewes instead of the present 93000. Regardless, it is still a realistic concept to increase the present number of sheep three or four times.
As the conditions of free market economy are not always favourable for the mentioned objectives, the role of sheep-keeping is limited. In my opinion, the necessary development of sheep-farms can be realized only with the government's purposeful regulating actions.
The economic importance of sheep-keeping, however, should not be overestimated. I think it might improve the general atmosphere and public feeling by playing a land-protecting role. It might also encourage rural tourism. The idea of combining it with horse-keeping is another form of tourism, functioning well, for example, in Germany.
By a significant threefold increase of sheep-stock in the northern counties, nearly 1000 people could be employed in animal-keeping, and further jobs could be created in processing industry and tourism. All the grasslands and fodder bases are provided for this. It would be a step forward if environment-protecting sheep-keeping became part of the project proposal topics of the national public work programme. Local governments should also support it financially.
Kukovics et al. (1997) suggested an extra funding of HUF7000/ewe/year for environment-protecting sheep-keeping apart from the basic funding. In Hungary, it would enable the keeping of 250000 ewes on 250000 ha of grassland that would cost 1.75 thousand million HUF a year. The majority of it should be utilized in the northern region, in order to avoid expensive land-rehabilitating programmes in the future.
As nowadays sheep are kept on private farms, their development, the increasing number of agricultural private entrepreneurs and sheep-keeping are closely related to each other. Unfortunately, there are few entrepreneurs in the region. The relatively low gross income per person in agriculture and sheep-keeping hinders the development and stabilization of private farms. This fact discourages new entrepreneurs as well. The government should help new enterprises with financial support, favourable credit schemes, and by providing information, integrating and organizing their work.
REFERENCES
Fehér A. 1996. Regionális és foglalkoztatási feszültségek az észak-magyarországi agrárkörzetekben [Regional and employment tensions in the agricultural districts of North Hungary] In: Agrárátalakulás, modernizáció, stabilizáció. 168-176. p. Budapest
Habsburg O. 1997. A mezőgazdaság jövője [The future of agriculture] In: Magyar Hírlap. 1997. Vol. 238: 3.
Kukovics, S. – Jávor, A. & Székelyhidi, T. 1997. A juhágazat fejlesztési programja. [The development programme of the sheep branch] In: Magyar Juhászat [Hungarian Sheep Breeding], 1997. Vol. 3: 2-7.
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