Evaluation of the Level of Self-Sufficiency of Cows Milk Production in the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

Food self-sufficiency is considered one of the basic priorities for the functioning of modern food economies. The main aim of the study is to assess the level of self-sufficiency of cows milk production in selected countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Thirteen Central and Eastern European countries were accepted as the research area. The study used simplified indicators of food self-sufficiency. Technical self-sufficiency included the volume approach to the foreign trade balance and the conversion of indices constituting the relation of the production volume per number of inhabitants and the volume of cows milk consumption in relation to the production volume. Economic self-sufficiency was based on the study of the balance of foreign trade in terms of value. The study was conducted for the years 2015-2020. The research results indicate that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe are characterized by a significant degree of differentiation in terms of the self-sufficiency of cows milk production. Most of the countries considered follow a safe food policy for this agricultural raw material. The lowest degree of self-sufficiency of cows milk production is found in Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania. Moreover, it was found that the abolition of milk quotas in 2015 in the European Union countries did not result in a significant increase in the volume of cows milk production.