CONCENTRATION TRENDS IN MILK PRODUCTION AND NUMBER OF DAIRY COWS IN ROMANIA, 2013-2022.

The goal of this study is the analysis of the dynamics of milk production, yield and dairy cows in Romania in the period 2013-2022. The empirical data were provided by National Institute of Statistics and were processed using the fixed basis index, and concentration method based on Herfindahl-Hirschman index, graphical representation of the regression equations and R square. The results confirmed the general declining trend in milk production which reached 35,300 thousand hl in 2022, being by 9.1% smaller than in 2013. The bovine livestock also decline and the number of dairy cows decreased, in 2022 accounting for 1,075.6 thousands heads by 9.2% smaller than in 2013. Milk yield in Romania also declined in the analyzed interval by 7.6% from 3,643.8 kg in 2013 to 3,367 kg per cow in 2022. Milk yield in Romania is the smallest in the EU-27, being twice lower than the EU mean accounting for 7,653 kg/cow. The factors which led o such a critical situation in dairy farming have been: the non corresponding farm structure, where 80% are small farms raising 1-2 cows, 13% have 2-5 cows and just 0.32% of farms raise over 50 cows. Also, during the last years, climate change in terms of low precipitations and long and severe drought affected forage production. Farm inputs price increased by 70% which led to high production costs that the low milk price of Lei 1.4-1.8 imposed by milk processors could not covered. The degree of concentration of milk production and of the number of dairy cows in Romania is enough small, ranging between 015-0.20 reflecting a moderate concentration. The subsidies per animal and milk were not enough to save the situation, and in consequence, a part of farms failed and other farms sold their animals to slaughterhouses. To avoid milk imports which have significantly raised during the years 2021-2022, the breeders have to be sustained by consistent subsidies to help their cows to produce more milk as dairy cows farming is in the most critical situation as never before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]