In the village of Pržno, located near Budva, there are 20 registered agricultural farms encompassing 380 thousand square meters of agricultural land, out of which 80 thousand is designated for arable land and gardens. These farms house 99 pregnant sheep, 25 cows along with pregnant heifers, and nine working animals, including horses, oxen, or donkeys. The population of Pržno consists of 170 inhabitants, with 104 residing in agricultural households.

This data is extracted from the 1960 agricultural census, illustrating that the now-popular tourist destinations in Montenegro were predominantly reliant on agriculture 65 years ago.

At that time, Montenegro had a total of 65 agricultural farms, supporting 338 household members. The overall population of Montenegro was 471, meaning 72 percent were from families engaged in agricultural professions.

Living Without Electricity: The Use of Draft Animals

From the census data, it was noted that only 13 out of the 65 farms had access to “electric lighting,” implying that 80 percent—52 farms—were operating without electricity.

Out of the 48 thousand hectares of arable land, just 1.419 hectares were cultivated using cooperative tractors, representing a mere 2.9 percent of the total arable area. The rest of the land relied on draft animals, which numbered 52 thousand, alongside 12.057 plows used for cultivation.

Under these challenging conditions, devoid of electricity and mechanization, agricultural activities were conducted across 346 thousand hectares of land. This included 77 thousand cows or pregnant heifers, 384 thousand breeding sheep, and 6.095 breeding sows. The total stable area for livestock, constructed from solid wood, measured 1.77 million square meters.

Currently, with every village equipped with electricity, telephones, and the internet, Montenegro boasts 26.7 thousand agricultural farms utilizing 126 thousand hectares of agricultural land—only a third of the area surveyed in 1960. Presently, there are 8.5 thousand hectares allocated for arable land and gardens, which accounts for just 17 percent of the areas used back in 1960, when plowing was still performed by oxen or horses. As of last year, there were 9.373 tractors registered across agricultural operations.

The latest agricultural census utilizes slightly different livestock categories; it includes all cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, etc. Therefore, a direct comparison with previous figures can be misleading.

According to last year’s census, there were 68.6 thousand cattle, compared to 77 thousand cows and pregnant heifers in 1960. The count of sheep stands at 167 thousand today, a stark contrast to 384 thousand breeding sheep recorded in 1960. Back then, the number of breeding sows was approximately six thousand, while today it stands at 52 thousand.

While data from 65 years ago lacks information on the number of goats, poultry, and beehives, recent counts registered 28 thousand goats, 1.3 million poultry, and 113 thousand beehives.

Decline in Arable Land

The average agricultural holding back in 1960 was 53 thousand square meters of agricultural land, whereas the present average is 48 thousand square meters. Of that, 7.3 thousand was under cultivation and gardens, while the current holdings dedicate 3.2 thousand square meters to the same purposes.

This average of 48 thousand square meters is largely influenced by farms in the northern regions, primarily consisting of pastures and meadows. For instance, 305 farms in Šavnik manage 6.107 hectares, averaging 20 hectares or 200 thousand square meters per farm, but only 56 hectares—or 1.840 square meters per farm—is dedicated to arable land.

In Zeta municipality, 909 registered farms utilize a total of 2.275 hectares of land, averaging 25 square meters per household. This municipality has 1.036 hectares classified as arable land, equating to 1.14 hectares per household or 11.400 square meters.

When comparing the two censuses, it’s important to note the varying methodologies in defining agricultural holdings. In 1960, a farm was defined as a household with at least 1.000 square meters of arable land producing vegetables, flowers, or tobacco for sale. In contrast, the criteria established last year define a holding as a household with a minimum of 5.000 square meters dedicated to personal or commercial cultivation, or 3.000 square meters for arable land, with additional specifications for different crops.

In 1960, a household was recognized as a farm if it sheltered at least one cow, five sheep, or three pigs. Presently, a farm can register with just one cow, two sheep and goats, one sow, four piglets, 15 poultry, or 10 beehives.

The earlier agricultural census did not include data on the age of the household head or manager. Currently, the average age of household heads is 59 years, which is two years older than in 2010.

Among the heads of households today, 86 percent are men, while 14 percent are women.

EU Farming Standards: A Higher Bar

Recent census data highlights a contrast between local agricultural holdings and EU farming standards.

If Montenegro were to adopt the stricter EU standards, the number of farms would drop from 26 thousand to around 18 thousand. This transition will be necessary once Montenegro becomes a member of the EU, leading to a potential decrease in those eligible for future subsidies and compelling households to consolidate to maintain their agricultural status.

In the EU, a farm must have at least 50 square meters of utilized agricultural land, while in Montenegro, the current requirement is a minimum of five thousand square meters.

The minimum size of arable land is three thousand square meters in Montenegro, as opposed to 20 thousand square meters in the EU.

For potato, vegetable, and strawberry production, EU farms need at least 5.000 square meters, while in Montenegro it’s currently just one thousand. For fruit and olive cultivation, the requisite is one thousand square meters locally, and three thousand in the EU.

In terms of livestock, EU standards necessitate almost double the livestock per farm compared to what is currently required in Montenegro.

Historical Livestock Numbers: A Shift Over Time

In 1960, Golubovci village in the then Podgorica district reported the highest number of breeding sheep, totaling 1.814.

In a stark contrast, the entire Zeta municipality recorded only 621 sheep (including all sheep, not just breeding ones) in the latest census.

Back then, two other villages in Zeta also had more than a thousand breeding sheep—Mataguži with 1.174 and Ljajkovići with 1.064.

Slatina village in Mojkovac reported slightly fewer breeding sheep than Golubovci at 1.813, while the entirety of Mojkovac municipality counted just 4.095 sheep last year.

65 years ago, Gostilovina in Mojkovac boasted 1.751 breeding sheep, while Lepenac had nearly a thousand, with 989 breeding sheep. This data indicates that those three villages once surpassed the total sheep count in the entire Mojkovac municipality today.

Ozrinići village in Nikšić had the highest number of cows and pregnant heifers in 1960, totaling 439, followed by Plav with 269, Slatina with 261, and Crljenica in Pljevlja with 251.

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