Domestic goose fattening and goose liver production and their perspectives

Tóásó, Szilvia – Tenk, Antal – Látits, Miklós

Keywords: goose stock, goose fattening, fattened goose live, production indices, costs and income

Among the world’s goose liver producers Hungary with an annual production of two thousand tons (80% of which is exported) occupies a prominent position. Fattened goose liver, even though it is gradually declining, represents 8-10% of Hungarian poultry products export.

The number of fattened geese between 1994 and 2004 varied between 3 to 4 millions. Over the same year period the weight of an individual bird at around 7kg declined slightly but the weight of goose liver produced increased on average by 10%. The ratio of the weight of fattened goose to that of its liver may be considered relatively constant. From year to year the cost of fattening is increasing faster than the income from the activity, thus profits from fatting goose are gradually declining. To the farmers the row material needed for producing raw goose liver for export keeps on increasing, whereas the export price of goose liver keeps on declining.

The production of fattened goose and fattened raw goose liver is at a crossroad because deteriorating export conditions! The quandary is further intensified by the EU’s animal protection measures coming into force in 2011 that will require the employment of new fattening technology (free of forced feeding) and will place the decades old practice of fattened goose production on entirely new foundations.

Full article