Sown pastures - Past, Present and Future

Abstract

Pastures have begun to be sown in Portugal just since 1965, although there had been a development of forage crops, in a scientific basis, since the second half of the 19th century.

The comparison of the 1989 and 1999 agricultural general censuses shows that the area dedicated to animal husbandry (fallow, temporary and permanent pastures, and forage crops) increased 11%, covering 2,6 millions of hectares, that is, 67% of the utilized agricultural surface.

However, the rise in the number of cattle, sheep and goats was only 0,4%, due to the large diminution of goats, and the animal production evolution, specifically that of meat, is not in harmony with the increase of the area for animal feeding.

As the majority of the permanent pastures are natural ones, they should be changed into sown pastures. As far as fallow is concerned, it should be converted into permanent or temporary sown pastures, according to their soils and topography.