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DEER FARMING IN POLAND
Since 1998 Poland has been a member of FEDFA, i.e. from the moment of the formation of the Polish Deer Farmers Association (PZHJ, www.pzhj.org.pl). Because of to establishment of the Association, and its membership of FEDFA, Poland has managed to legalize deer farming. This happened in 2002, when "the deer and fallow deer kept in farm conditions" were recognized as farm animals in the light of the current farming rules, with all the resultant consequences. At the time of the introduction of these regulations, there were approximately 20-30 deer farms, usually small farms, on which it was calculated that there were about 700 fallow deer, 350 deer and 60 sika deer, in total. After the legalization of deer farming, new farms were established at a rapid pace. In 2007 was formed the Polish Branch Deer Farmers Association (PBDFA, www.pzbhj.org.pl). Currently, the number of farms is estimated at min. 200; around half of their owners are a member of PDFA or PBDFA. Fallow deer population on farms is estimated at around 18 to 20 thousand head, much less are red deer, approximately five thousand (5000), including about 300 head of sika deer. Most farms are small farms (1-5 ha) and medium-sized (6-30 ha), breeding mainly fallow deer. Fewer in number are large farms, above 30 hectares; among them are both red deer farms and fallow deer farms, some farms breed both species. Only a few farms have an area of 100 ha; the biggest farms keep 500 - 1000 head of fallow deer and 100-400 red deer, although the biggest red deer farm has a total of about 3000 head. The sale of venison meat is the main and current problem of farmers. This problem with its sales difficulties is blocking further development in the industry and the sale of breeding animals. We still lack clear legal solutions controlling deer slaughter and sale, especially direct sales to the local market. On the other hand, recently launched was the first specialized abattoir for farmed deer, there are now attempts being made to start-up the next abattoirs. Demand on the domestic market is not big and it is difficult to obtain satisfactory prices, in addition this is not helped with a large supply of cheap game venison on hand. Market development requires arduous work and expenditure on the promotional aspect. Farmers manage in different ways to sell their venison, for example: venison directly to restaurants and hotels, exporting venison through slaughterhouses or selling live deer calves for export. Prices for meat livestock are 1.5-3 EUR / kg, for carcass 3 - 6 EUR/kg. The farmers are also plagued by a lack of legal capacity to organize hunting on farms, namely the distribution of hunting and hunting for trophies. Deer farming, once considered a niche form of farming, still is often discriminated against and therefore has to lobby for its own laws. The farmers do not benefit from EU subsidies to red and fallow farmed deer, only for the pastures, on which they graze are eligible. Although not high, these EU funds do help run these farms, this clearly helped farming with the first years of the development. However, after the abolition of the grant for financing the purchase of breeding stock, have become much less attractive and popular. There is now a possibility of acquiring the status of an "ecological” farm and therefore additional payments for pastures, so a significant proportion of farmers will benefit from this offer. |