Entwicklung des Einsatzes und der Preise von Grund- und Kraftfutter in der Rinderhaltung: 20 Jahre 'Arbeitskreis Forschung und Praxis' in der FAL

For the last 20 years 70 north german farms with intensive dairy farming have been surveyed and analysed from the scientific point of view. The data token from these farms show that in the period from 1980/81 to 1995/96 not only the dairy farming but also food production had adapt to changing circumstances. Besides the agri-political interventions like the regulation of the quantity of milk (1983, 1988) and the reform of egricultural policy (1993), the farms had to react to sustained changes of price and price relations for means of production. The analysed dairy farms obtained an increase of capacity per cow of about 1000 kg. At the same time the milk yield produced by roughage was raised about 1200 kg. This increase of efficiency got possible especially by the clear improvement of the quality of the home grown fodder. The development of food production is characterised by turning away from intercropping, a transition to a higher frequency of cuttings for grassilage and an increase of maize silage. The CAP reform has shifted price realtions in favour of concentrates and maize silage. Dairy farmers will use these new price relations and continually adapt feeding in order not to endanger the reached level of productivity. The price advantage for maize silage can in long terms result in suspending grass silage. There will be disadvantages of locations for grassland regions. In the meantime byproducts of industrial food production (as sugar beet pulp, brewers grains) have reached a share of 5% of the total amount of home grown fodder.