Browsing by Author "Aveiro, Dina"
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- Evolution of the production systems of the endangered catle breed Mirandesa: threats and alternatives for family-farm systemsPublication . Sousa, Fernando Ruivo de; Aguiar, Carlos; Aveiro, DinaFamily-farm systems are largely dominant in the rural communities of northeastern Portugal. These systems can be organized based on the interrelations and the diversity of its characteris5cs such as farmer's age, farm dimension, external incomes, productive orientation, or livestock type and number (1). A significant number of the regional family-farm systems raise Mirandesa cows, a local cattle breed classified as endangered in 1994. Since 1995 the Mirandesa veal enjoys a Protected Designa5on of Origin (PDO). The carcasses of weaning calves, that aren’t PDO, are currently paid 4 €/kg. The PDO producers receive 5,25€/Kg, a 31% higher premium price. Since 1998, a producers group guarantees the sale of all production. In the last decade, the national inflation average was 2.45%; the group achieved a gross margin on the sale price, on average, 1% above infla5on. However, despite the commercial success of the PDO, the Mirandesa cow and the farmers numbers continues to decline.
- Evolution of the production systems of the endangered cattle breed Mirandesa: threats and alternatives for family-farm systemsPublication . Sousa, Fernando Ruivo de; Aguiar, Carlos; Aveiro, DinaFamily-farm systems are largely dominant in the rural communities of northeastern Portugal. Familiar farming systems can be organized based on the interrelations and the diversity of its characteristics such as farmer's age, farm dimension, external resources, productive orientation, or livestock type and number. A significant number of the regional family-farm systems raise Mirandesa cows, a local cattle breed classified as endangered in 1994. Since 1995 the Mirandesa veal enjoys a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in northeastern Portugal. The carcasses of weaning calves, that aren’t PDO, are currently paid 4 €/kg. The PDO producers receive 5,25€/Kg, a 31% higher premium price. During the past 15 years, the number of family-farms decreased 64% (from 1465 in 1996 to 501 in 2008), and the number of breeding cows decreased 3.7% (4358 in 1996, to 4198 in 2008). The most resilient farms, practice a traditional production mode, with 3 to 10 cows average per farm. On these farms the gross margin for calf was in 1999, 50% higher than in more specialized farms (>10 cows). However, the number of more intensive is rapidly growing. The PDO success is associated to the recent cereal prices collapse. It provided an opportunity to increase the livestock density and specialization in beef production, hanging the cow feeds on oat forage. A density of 0.3 - 0.5LSU/ha on the pasture areas, increased to 1.5-2LSU/ha. The intermediate consumptions of the production system, concentrated feeding, fertilizers and diesel had an inflation rate between 40% and 70%, in the period 2006-2011. These agriculture systems now give signs of rupture. Competitiveness of the Mirandesa cattle production system in the future depends on the conversion of former cultivated areas into pastures and on the introduction of a new land management that promotes a higher cooperation/integration of the family-farm systems.
- Mirandesa meat PDO: the strategies of family-farm systems for their governancePublication . Sousa, Fernando Ruivo de; Aguiar, Carlos; Aveiro, DinaMirandesa Meat, is one PDO (since 1995), that has for production region a small area from the northeast of Portugal far away from the great centers of consumption. The producers are 316, from which 180 formed a group producers (cooperative) that manages the PDO. All are organized in family-farm systems. Most, develop poli-cultural production systems, are retired or with multiple sources of income, and explore a small number of cows (average of 8 cows). Over 90% of the production is sold in big population centres, with higher social stratification, localized more than 250Km from the production region. With the consumers far away from the local production, the strategy of these producers after organized were based on three pillars: interactive communication through promotion and direct sales in fairs, progression in the value chain through product differentiation and valuing the certified dimension through the PDO and the recognition of Mirandesa meat derivatives like the example of Mirandesa sausage, a Slow food presidia. The interactive communication between producers and consumers, in this context, becomes more vital as more distant producers and consumers are, once the latter lose direct control on the production and sale of food. For small producers it’s vital the utilization of different kinds of certification, because through their utilization they have the possibility to positively differentiate on the market. The PDO Carne Mirandesa, has all it’s production sold since 1998. In the year 2010 it sold 268t from 1960 carcasses. Nationally, it’s the PDO that pays the highest value to producers (5.25€/Kg). In the production region, the carcasses of the same type that aren’t PDO, are paid an average price of 4€/Kg, being observed a 31% difference. The paper, analyses the strategy of approaching the producers and consumers by allowing the first a fair valuation of the product and the latter have more information and greater security in choice.
- Mirandesa meat PDO: the strategies of family-farm systems for their governancePublication . Sousa, Fernando Ruivo de; Aguiar, Carlos; Aveiro, DinaMirandesa Meat has been a PDO since 1995, which originated from a small area in the northeast of Portugal, far away from the large consumption centers. It involves 316 producers, from which 180 are organized in a cooperative that manages the PDO. All producers practise small scale family-farm systems. The majority of the producers of Mirandesa Meat are already retired or benefit from multiple sources of income, and only have a small number of cows (average of 8 cows) in a policulture production system. More than 90% of the Mirandesa meat production is sold in large population centers, with a higher social stratification, located more than 250 km away from the production region. The spatial separation between production and consumers forced the Mirandesa meat producers to adopt three main governance strategies: interactive communication with the consumers through promotion and direct sales in fairs, progression in the value chain via product differentiation and the valuation of the certified dimension of the PDO, and the recognition of Mirandesa meat derivatives like Mirandesa sausage, a Slowfood Presidium. The interactive communication between producers and consumers, in this context, becomes vital since, due to distance, the consumers lose direct control in the production and the sale of meat. For small producers, the utilization of different kinds of certification is crucial, because through its utilization they have the possibility to positively stand out in the market. The Mirandesa Meat PDO’s production has been sold out every year since 1998. In the year 2010 it sold 268 t of meat, from 1960 carcasses. On a national scale it is the meat PDO that provides the highest prices to producers (5.25€/Kg). In the production region, non-PDO carcasses of the same type command an average price of only 4€/Kg (a 31% difference).
- Portuguese consumers' preference regarding three PDO Transmontano goatling butcher piecesPublication . Fernandes, António; Sousa, Fernando Ruivo de; Aveiro, Dina; Ribeiro, Maria IsabelEach half carcass was divided into three pieces: a leg, a shoulder, and a rib. So, to identify consumers’ preferences about the three cuts, a questionnaire was applied at the National Agricultural Fair between June 3 and 11, 2023, in Santarém, Portugal. The sample was composed of 118 consumers aged between 20 and 81 years. Later, descriptive statistics and the Friedman test were used to analyze the data. The majority of the consumers were between 25 and 64 years old (72.9%), male (69.5%), had secondary (25.4%) or higher (36.4%) education, lived in households of two (40.7%) or three people (23.7%) with a monthly net income between 1,001 and 3,000 (44.9%) or 3,001 and 5,000 euros (21.2%) and lived in the districts of Santarém (30.5%), Lisbon (15.3%) and Leiria (11.0%). The frequency of goatling meat consumption is very diverse. In fact, 31.4% said they eat it sporadically, 31.4% more than once a week, 25.4% once a month, and 11.9% one to four times a month. When asked about the likelihood of buying the different cuts, 86.5% of respondents said it was likely or very likely that they would buy the rib, 80.6% the leg, and 79.6% the shoulder. No differences were found in the purchase probability between the leg and shoulder (p-value = 0.879). Still, a preference for the rib was confirmed (p-value < 0.05). The leg, the rib, and the shoulder can be sold between 13.09 and 22.41 euros/kg, 12.92 and 22.96 euros/kg, and 13,66 and 23,64 euros/Kg, respectively.