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Livestock production systems in Slovenia
Due to various climatic, geological and morphological soil conditions, a considerable share of agricultural land in Slovenia is situated in less favoured areas. Slovenia can be described as a country with quite demanding production conditions. Slightly less than 43% of the national territory, i.e. 780,000 ha, is characterised as agricultural land. Only about a third of this land is used for cultivation. Meadows and pastures predominate strongly within the structure of agricultural land. Forests cover over one half (56%) of the territory of Slovenia and are a very important natural resource. Most of agricultural land in Slovenia is grassland, and because cultivated fields require rotation of fodder plants, it is understood that the most important agricultural activity is ruminant production. As already mentioned, animal production plays the most important part in Slovene agriculture, representing 55 % of market value or more than two thirds of the total value of agricultural production.
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Cattle production is the spread branch of animal production on the Slovene farms. Cattle production is double purposed (milk and meat production) but milk production has become the leading one. In Slovenia combined breeds predominate (Simmental, Brown), whereas the share of Black and White breed has increased lately. The production of meat breeds has noticed the same trend upon account of Brown breed. Cattle production presents 40 % of the final agricultural production in Slovenia.
In Slovenia two types of pig production prevail: state farm production and private family farm production. Modern meat breeds and systematic crossings are used for production. In the last decade the development of market-oriented pig production predominate on family farms too.
Poultry has faced the development of highly specialised and a technological, organisational and expert production of broilers and laying hens as well as turkeys.
Sheep production has become very important too since more and more sheep are bred in Slovenia. Meat breeds prevail whereas milk breeds are less frequent. Sheep and goats are bred on areas with unfavourable agricultural conditions. Sheep are of domestic origin and their crossbred.
Horse breeding has turned very popular recently in Slovenia, which results in higher number of horses. Especially popular are warm-blooded and sport horses and horses for recreation purposes. Lipica, a symbol of Slovene horse breeding and the origin of Lipizzaner has become the central state stud forming also the horse breeders' organisation. Slovene cold-blooded bred of horses prevails.
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Bee keeping has had a log tradition in Slovenia. Kranjska bee is well known and has become the leading bee in a lot of countries of central and northern Europe.
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