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The paper aimed to analyse world production and trade for fresh silk cocoons and raw silk using FAO Stat data for the period 2007-2010. The use of index, share and comparison methods allowed identifying the major trends in the analysed period. Silk decline was determined by the increased importance of cotton and artificial fibres in textile and clothing industry. Important changes are taking place on silk cocoons and silk market. While, the European market decreased, the Asian market has mainly developed fresh cocoons and raw silk, while the European market became more interested of clothes. Silk consumption declined because of consumer's preference for synthetic fibres, except traditional consumers from Asia. China is the main producer and exporter of fresh and dry cocoons, while raw silk is produced and exported by China, Brazil and Italy and imported by India, Japan and Italy. In Europe, Bulgaria is the top producer of fresh cocoons and raw silk and Italy is the main raw silk importer and the top producer and exporter of textile and fashion clothes. Silk will remain an important raw material for producing high quality and luxury clothes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper purpose was to identify the main trends in the Romanian sheep and goat meat market based on the analysis of the specific indicators regarding sheep and goat livestock and production at country level and by region, using the data provided by National Institute of Statistic for the period 1990-2010. About 198,729 farmers are raising sheep and goats and the average farm size is about 16 heads. The sheep and goat livestock declined by 36 % in the analyzed period accounting for 9,658 thousand heads in 2010. Sheep/goat ratio changed from 14/1 in 1990 to 6.78/1 in 2010, in the advantage of goats. Sheep and goats are mainly grown in Central, North-Eastern and South-Western Romania. Mutton and goat meat production accounted for 1,305 thousand tons in 2010, being by 46 % lower than in 1990 because of livestock decline. About 23 % mutton and sheep meat is produced in the South-Eastern Romania, 18 % in the Central part and 14 % in North-East. The share of mutton and goat meat declined from 8.38 % in 1990 to 7.66 % in 2010 in total meat production in the country. As a conclusion, mutton and goat meat market registered a decline during the last decades, in favor of pork and poultry meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper goal was to study consumer behaviour for poultry meat. In this purpose 100 individuals participated to a questionnaire based survey in a supermarket of Bucharest. Specific methods of marketing research in such a case assured the statistical processing of the respondents' answers. The results pointed out an increased consumption of poultry meat, a preference for fresh chicken meat which is daily bought or 2-3 times a week in a varied amount ranging between 1-1.5 kg depending on consumer's income for covering the family need. The main factors influencing consumer buying decision are the sensorial meat characteristics, meat quality, origin, price, prepacking grade. As a conclusion producers have to pay more attention to these aspects in their future strategy for producing and commercialising poultry meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aimed to analyse the actual status of beekeeping in Calarasi County using a questionnaire based survey on a sample of 20 beekeepers. The average number of bee families per apiary was 72.3, which produced in average 16.71 kg honey in the year 2011. Of the 1,446 bee families belonging to the 20 interviewed beekeepers an amount of 24,165 kg honey was obtained which was marketed for Lei 8/kg average sale price to Beekeepers Association and for Lei 15/kg to other direct clients. Over 67 % of the bee families were kept in apiaries whose size was ranging between 50 and 100 bee families and 18 % of apiaries were larger than 100 bee families. About 65 % of honey was achieved by the apiaries whose size belonged to 50-100 bee families category and 16.59 % in the largest ones with over 100 bee families. The income earned by the 20 apiculturists accounted for Lei 281,230 in 2011, meaning Lei 14,061.50 per beekeeper. About 67 % of income was carried out in the apiaries with 50-100 bee families and 11.42 % in the ones larger than 100 bee families. As a conclusion, the increase of the number of bee families per apiary and production diversification is the main factors to grow honey production and beekeepers' income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aimed to analyze the economic efficiency in three farms dealing with pig fattening in the Southern Plain of Romania. Farm size was different from a farm to another as follows: Farm1-100 fatty pigs and 10.5 tons meat as live weight, Farm 2- 2,647 fatty pigs and 264.7 tons live weight and Farm 3- 9,460 fattened pigs and 1,040.6 tons meat production. Economic efficiency was comparatively analyzed based on the following indicators: pig stock, meat production, fattening gain, food consumption, income, cost, profit and profit rate at farm level and per series of fattened pigs as well as on unitary cost, income, profit per kg live weight and delivered pig and gross margin. Finally the economic size of each farm was estimated in ESU according to the EU classification. As a conclusion, all the three farms carried out profit but the farm F3, which was the largest farm, registered the highest efficiency: Lei 107.8 profit/ pig, Lei 238 gross margin/pig, Lei thousand 1,895.582 gross margin/farm/year. Therefore, the higher the income and profit per fatty pig, the higher economic efficiency. As a conclusion, farmers have to pay attention to farm size in order to increase economic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aimed to establish gross margin for three levels of milk yield/cow/year under the condition of Romania: V1-4,000 kg, V2-5,000 kg and V3-6,000 kg. The technical data were collected from three dairy farms and the economic calculations were based on the EU methodology taking into consideration prices of the year 2011. The following indicators were determined for each level of milk yield: gross product, variable cost and gross margin. The estimates for gross margin/cow were Lei 1,927 for the variant with the smallest milk yield, Lei 2,561 for the variant with the middle yield and Lei 3,454 for the variant with the highest milk yield. As a conclusion, gross product and variable cost were directly influenced by milk yield and the higher the milk yield, the higher gross margin and economic efficiency per cow. In order to increase farm financial performance expressed by gross margin and profit, farmers have to rise milk yield per cow using high productive animals, sufficient and high quality forages and keep production cost, mainly variable cost under control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aimed to present the evolution of poultry meat market in the E.U.-27 in the period 2007-2009 by means of the specific indicators: poultry livestock, poultry meat production and trade both at member state level and at community level. The analysis has pointed out that despite that poultry stock was reduced by 6.10 %, poultry meat production increased by 10.70%, import increased by 9.18% and export by 11.31%. This was due to the fact that many people are oriented to poultry meat which is a white and lean meat, rich in high value protein, it has less cholesterol and a high digestibility, a nice flavor when it is prepared. In 2009, Romania was situated on the 9th position among the EU countries concerning poultry livestock and meat production, on the 11th position concerning poultry meat export and on the 5th position regarding import. As a conclusion, the EU is an important producer, exporter and importer of poultry meat and in the coming years it is expected a continuous increase of production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]