– Losses related to cattle killed by wolves are estimated at 0.08 to 0.12%. In numbers, this means between 6 and 7 thousand cattle per year – calculates Jacek Zarzecki.
Beef cattle are increasingly threatened by wolves, whose population in Poland numbers between 2 and 4 thousand animals.
Unfortunately, breeders, like hunters, are faced with a hostile policy towards them adopted by the authorities of the Ministry of the Environment.
– Losses related to cattle killed by wolves are estimated at 0.08 to 0.12%. In numbers, this means between 6 and 7 thousand cattle per year – he calculates. Jacek Zarzeckipresident of the Polish Association of Beef Cattle Breeders and Producers, adding:
– Analyzing them in the context of the average size of cattle farms in Poland, which is about 20 animals, almost 300 medium-sized cattle herds die this way every year, i.e. 300 farms. That’s a lot.
Check out the prices for cattle purchases
The price of cattle in general and bulls in all age categories increased. Its decrease concerned only cows and heifers. The prices of cattle in general in the days from 22 to 28 July increased by 0.1% to the value of PLN 10 per kg…
The President of PZHiPBM also emphasizes that in the years 2020-2022, compensation payments to farmers were refused 146 times. The refusal was justified by insufficient care of cattle at night. These regulations, which have been in force for 20 years, should be changed.
– I appeal to politicians to use their legal possibilities and change the regulations. It really takes little – says Zarzecki, adding:
– Adding one article to the Nature Protection Act that talks about direct protection will change everything. Meanwhile, we are currently receiving letters from the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection, which, based on a Polish dictionary, explains to us that this protection means exercising supervision over animals.
Beef cattle breeders were surprised to hear the information presented by the Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment, Mikołaj Drożała, that funds for protecting cattle herds against wolves are secured in the CAP budget.
– The issue of wolves does not fall within the competence of the Ministry of Agriculture, but of the Ministry of Climate. If it cannot cope with their disposal, it should hand over this competence to the Ministry of Agriculture so that breeders can finally receive decent compensation for their losses – sums up the president of PZHiPBM.
