A hundred years of dr. Oton Frangeš's report on the state of livestock breeding in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

One hundred years ago dr. Oton Frangeš reported about the state of livestock in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) by comparing numbers of different species in
the year 1895 and 1910, when the livestocks censuses had been done. This comparison showed a decreasing number of all species from 1895 to 1910, being not the case in every surrounding country. The number of cattle decreased for 107.641 (7,8%), horses 11.426 (4,8%), pigs 135.019 (20,4%), sheep 731.866 (22,7%) and goats 54.484 (3%). Stating the above, the author was of the opinion that according to all resources, the number of livestock should have increased, and not only in number. He, in fact, suggested that the number of some species should have been reduced, and that noble breeds with significantly higher yield of milk and meat should have been imported. He also thought the number of goats should have been reduced as much as possible. Although thewritings were colored by regret for numerical decline in livestock production in BiH, the author pointed out how humans should have realized that the smaller the livestock, the more material benefits through better food (cultivation of fodder), better breeding conditions and modern breeds. This required cheap loans to the farmers for fodder production, building barns, procurement of noble breeds, etc.