Project title: Complex EU conform integration to develop environmental friendly sustainable grassland-based beef cattle production system and to produce quality slaughter animals and beef products

Short name: Complex Eu Conform Beef Cattle Production Developing Integration

Identification N°: NKFP-4/0024/2002

Project manager: prof Dr. Ferenc Szabó D.Sc. dean, Georgikon Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Keszthely, Veszprém University

Contact person: Dr. Zsombor Wagenhoffer Ph.D.

Address: H-8360 Keszthely, Deák F. u. 16.

Tel: +36 83 312 330Fax: +36 83 315 105E-mail: wzs@georgikon.hu

Leading institute: Georgikon Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Keszthely

Partners involved:

Budget of the project: 1,44 million Euro of which 0,82 million Euro of state grant

Term of the project: 2002-2005

Brief description of the project: The principal aim of the project is to set a direction for the development of beef cattle farming in Hungary and to provide the sector with a substantial assistance in terms of the way extensive co-operation could enable us to move away from the present nadir. The project integrates the stakeholders of beef production and the representatives of basic and applied research and technological development, being the key factors of a potential progress, in a way that hopefully will serve as an example and guideline for a development of national scope. The objective of the project lies in working out an EU compliant integration scheme for the development of beef cattle production that will successfully contribute to setting the sector on a new track of growth. When identifying our objectives, we must take into account our ecological faculties and thereby give a preference to grassland-based livestock production systems. At present, we have approximately 1,1 million hectares of grassland with a meagre 50% utilisation rate. Following our accession to EU the overall area of grassland is expected to increase by another 0,8-1 million hectares of land withdrawn from under tilling. This area could be utilised primarily by ruminants, which enhances the chances of our beef cattle sector. By working out a specific alternative for potential development scenarios on a scientific basis the present project will promote all these concepts by vertically integrating the sector’s stakeholders.