Goat breeding in the region Poitou-Charentes : evolution of technical and economic results between 1989 and 1992

Abstract

Between 1989 and 1992, goat breeding in the region "Poitou-Charentes" was characterized by :
* an overproduction of goat milk followed by a fall in prices and an increased demand for winter milk (october-december) from the dairy industries,
* a severe drought hindering forage production,
* an intense restructuring of goat units accompanied by a higher degree of specialization and characterized, among other things, by a large increase in the size of the units.

The aim of this study was to determine the progress margins of 116 breedings -all of them milk producers using the technico-economic control scheme called "Optichèvre"- during the period 89-92 in the region "Poitou-Charentes".

First, the results and their evolutionary trendswere analysed for the four years concerned (89-92), showing that the breeders tried to balance the fall in prices by producing "out of season" milk, as well as through a higher intensification of forage production and a higher degree of specialization. Data analysis was used to study the major factors which best accounted for the evolution in goat breeding : that of gross-margins. Last, 5 representative breeding profiles were created from the 1989 results, showing the importance of the criteria : milk production per goat, forage intensification, and labour productivity. We may thus conclude that small, non specialized units still have significant progress margins and large units, specialized and competitive, and in which technical progress becomes more difficult, are much more sensitive to price variations.