Economic efficiency of raising Lacaune sheep in Bulgaria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61308/HBZT3790Keywords:
Lacaune sheep, revenues, costs, profit, profitabilityAbstract
The aim of this study was to establish the economic efficiency of raising Lacaune sheep in Bulgaria for 2023. Three private farms located in Southern Bulgaria were studied, with base herds of the breed and a total of 689 ewes. Revenues and costs were calculated based on the information from the questionnaires filled out by the farm owners, and profit was obtained as a result of the difference between them. The rate of profitability (%) is a fundamental measure of economic efficiency in farms, and is calculated as the ratio of profit to total costs. It was found that feed costs account for a high relative share of the total costs, with farms 1 and 2 reaching 62.5% and 60%, which is logical given the high nutritional requirements of specialized dairy breeds. Milk revenues in farms 2 and 3 represent more than 50% of the total production - 55% and 53.2%, respectively, which is a result of the higher milk yield characteristic of the Lacaune breed. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the production on the farms in the study is economically efficient, as a positive value of profit and rate of profitability were calculated. This is a necessary prerequisite for the studied farms to remain economically viable in the future and continue to generate income for the farmers.
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