Determination of the structural status and development opportunities of cattle breeding enterprises in the central district of Gümüşhane province

This research was carried out to examine the structural situation and development opportunities of cattle breeding enterprises operating in the central district of Gümüşhane province. Within the scope of the research, a face-to-face survey was conducted with 76 enterprises in 10 villages in 2024. Enterprises were classified as small (4-10 heads), medium (11-20 heads) and large (21-70 heads) according to the number of animals. The data collected in the research was analyzed using the SPSS program and frequency, percentage distributions, Chi-square tests and SWOT analyses were conducted. According to the research findings, 98.7% of the enterprise owners are male, and the representation rate of women in the sector is quite low. The average age of enterprise owners is 54 in small enterprises, 49 in medium-sized enterprises and 48 in large-sized enterprises. This situation shows that there is a younger and more dynamic workforce, especially in large enterprises. While primary school graduates constitute the majority in all groups in terms of education level, it was observed that the level of education increases as the enterprise size increases. Economic analyses reveal that incomes increase depending on the enterprise size. While the annual average income in small enterprises was 276 215 TL, this value reached 591 280 TL in medium-sized enterprises and 1 672 045 TL in large-scale enterprises. In addition, high feed costs were stated as the most important problem reducing the profitability of enterprises. Findings regarding support policies show that producers are not sufficiently aware of these supports and that the supports are insufficient. It was determined that the use of pastures and plateaus by enterprises was not effective and that natural resources were not sufficiently utilized. According to the SWOT analysis results, while the region's wide pasture and plateau resources and geographical advantages stand out as strengths, the low level of modernization, limited participation of the young workforce in the sector and increasing costs were determined as weaknesses. While increasing state support and expanding training programs were listed among the opportunities, market problems and fluctuations in feed prices were identified as the main threats. The research made several recommendations to increase the sustainability of cattle breeding enterprises in the region. Policies to reduce feed costs, making agricultural supports more effective, projects to encourage the participation of the young population in the sector and the adoption of modern technologies are among these suggestions. The study provides a valuable contribution to the agricultural economics literature by analyzing the current structure of cattle breeding enterprises in the central district of Gümüşhane Province in detail and offers a roadmap that will guide policies and practices that will support sustainable development.