Sweden! - International Federation of Agricultural Journalists

24 SOLUTIONS FOR A GREEN FUTURE
Cattle
Problems
Beef cattle herds are to a great extent, still
quite small. Farmers who work with beef
cattle tend to be older as cattle production
has often been seen as a way for a dairy
farmer to wind down their workload prior
to retirement. Another problem is the abolition
of EU subsidies for bulls and steers,
which disappears at the turn of 2011–2012.
The EU subsidy has been a source of income
for many beef producers and the risk
is that they will not regard it worthwhile
to continue production when the subsidy
is withdrawn. There is also the risk that a
large number of animals will be slaughtered
at the end of 2011 so that the farmers
will get as much subsidy as possible. If this
happens there is a more than possible risk
that Swedish beef production will diminish
greatly in the years that follow.
Fewer beef producers
The number of farms rearing cattle for
meat production has decreased over the
last few years. After the peak in the mid-
1990s, the number of farms with animals
reared for beef is now back to the same level
as it was at the beginning of the 1980s.
Small herds
The average herd of cattle reared for beef
production consisted of 16 animals in 2009
compared to 6 animals in 1980.
Where are the herds?
Geographically, most cattle are found in
Skåne and Västra Götaland. Combined,
these two counties have nearly a third of
Sweden’s cattle.
Breeds
Charolais and Hereford are among the
predominant breeds of cattle in Sweden.
Prices of beef
During 2010, the abattoirs’ basic listing
prices varied between 23–26 SEK per
kilogram. The price of cows has been approximately
5 SEK less. In addition to the
basic listing price, the slaughter companies
pay extra for frequent and full deliveries.
A farmer who delivers at least 15 cattle per
week gets about 1 SEK extra per kilogram.
If fewer animals are delivered, the added
extra payment is lowered.
Import and export
Sweden’s imports of beef dropped by 8.8
percent in 2009 but rose by 8.4 percent in
2010. 50 percent of Swedish consumption
of beef is imported meat.
Ireland is incomparably the largest exporter
of beef to Sweden, supplying nearly
one third of all beef imports. Germany is
second and Denmark third.
Slaughter
Approximately 425,000 cattle were slaughtered
in 2010. This is 65,000 less than in
2000. Sixteen abattoirs spread out over
the country accounted for 94 percent of
Sweden’s slaughter of animals in 2010. l