Milk Production and Processing on Farms in Mochnaczka Community
No. 27-0627-01

Mochnaczka is located in the southern Poland near Krynica Zdrój, close to Slovak border. Harsh climate and hilly landscape create difficult conditions for farming activities. Despite that, 90% of the inhabitants make their living from farming, especially from cattle breeding. Grassland constitutes about 80% of arable land and is assigned for pastures.

In the last years as the result of economic transition of the country the profitability of agricultural production dropped significantly. Also, the alternative jobs opportunities for the farmers are very limited because most of nearby enterprises have been closed. The unemployment rate in Mochnaczka community is one of the highest in Poland and amounts to about 45%.

The local farmers have been persistently looking for new opportunities to better their economic situation. In 2002 they created the Association for Small Enterprise Development in Mochnaczka Community to support each other on the way of improving agricultural methods of production to make it more profitable. In 2003 they applied for HPI assistance and as very active and creative group of people were accepted for cooperation. Their idea was to help the farmers to replace their poor quality, mixed race cattle with valuable and good quality Polish Red cattle.

Polish Red Cattle was popular in the region in the past and then replaced by the modern breeds of cattle due to misfortune national breeding policy. It was a big mistake, since this local breed of cattle suits perfectly local conditions. It gives good amount of milk and at the same time is long living, resistant to diseases and utilizes feed and pasture in a very efficient way. To reintroduce Polish Red cattle and to develop milk production and processing on small farms of Mochnaczka Community, HPI will provide 30 farm families with 35 Polish Red cattle. In the future the farmers would like to take up their own production of mountain cheese, which would be produced according to traditional, old Polish recipes.

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