Stock image. (source: TASR)
The economic crisis and rising prices of energy, fuel, goods, and services have taken a heavy toll on agriculture in the Považská Bystrica region. The key large-scale goat breeding cooperative PD Mestečko in the village of Lazy pod Makytou, the Púchov District, will have to close.
Despite subsidies from the Agriculture Ministry, the company is unable to withstand the enormous increase in costs. The subsidies are a one-time stimulus, meaning they only temporarily solve the situation. Moreover, the help did not come quickly enough.
After thirty years, the chairman of the cooperative, Peter Ježo, announced the end of the second largest large-scale goat farm in Slovakia.
According to experts, closing this key cooperative will have an impact on several sectors. In addition, the efforts of farmers and conservationists to develop the traditional and gentle breeding of goats and sheep are thus pushed to the sidelines and are hardly feasible at current costs.
To make matters worse, farmers expect the end of other farms as well as they have been losing money for some time now. It is impossible to keep running at the current prices, not to mention costs of personnel and service and spare parts for equipment.
Increased costs
Skyrocketing energy prices have had a strong impact on the budget of the PD Mestečko cooperative.
"Currently, we buy electricity for around €700 per megawatt hour, while a year ago the price was around €50. Based on the quarterly calculation, energy costs have increased by more than €100,000 which makes it unbearable," said Ježo.
