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Latvia Beef
Facts about beef in Latvia
- Beef meat has turned to hardly more than a by-product of milk-production- with a contribution to the livestock GAO of not more than 10% in 1997. The cattle inventory showed a decline from about 1-47 million animals in 1990 to almost a third- i.e. 509 thsd. animals- in 1997
- Total production of beef and veal was at a level of 125,000 tons in 1992. Until 1997- total production experienced a dramatic contraction- falling to only 27-6 thousand tons.
- Beef and veal amounts to 29.8 % of the meat produced. According to the data- the amount of the meat produced and consumed in 2003 has increased. The amount of carcass weight has increased by 1.3 times- but the consumption by 1.1 times.
- A recovery of the dairy herd will also improve the basis for beef production. Beef consumption will increase only moderately to 41-8 thousand. tons by the year 2003- with self-sufficiency reaching 77-3%.
- Latvia is well suited to producing beef and veal. The national aim is reaching the self-sufficiency level and quality improvement and the grassland and fodder base is in place. Beef production is mainly a by-product of dairy-farming.