Research Concerning the Economic Efficiency in Carabasa Sheep Breed Raising in Various Sized Farms

Abstract

The paper aimed to analyze the economic efficiency in two farms dealing with Carabasa Breed raising as follows: Farm1-86 sheep flock, of which 62 ewes, producing in average 146 liters milk/head/year and Farm 2-297 sheep stock, of which 255 ewes, with 140 liters/head milk yield. Economic efficiency was comparatively analyzed based on: gross product, production cost, variable and fixed cost, gross margin, profit, profit rate, farm economic size. The both farms registered profit, but Farm 2, the largest one taking into account the number of sheep, recorded a higher economic efficiency: 1.5 lambs/ewe, 22.50 kg cottage cheese/ewe, 1.17 Easter lambs/ewe, Euro 148 feeding cost/sheep, Euro 0.30/liter milk cost, Euro 233 income/ewe, Euro 61 profit/ewe, Euro 68 gross margin/ewe and a 35.55% profit rate. With Euro 17,274 profit at farm level, Farm 2 was considered a commercial middle sized farm, ESU 7.19 and Farm 1 a very small farm, ESU 1.04. As a conclusion, breeders raising Carabasa Breed, an excellent biological resource for milk and meat for Romanian sheep farming, have to increase farm size in order to go up the profitability and competitiveness of their farms.