Farm level trade-offs of intensifying tropical milk production
This research examins trade-offs between costs and production practices of intensification of milk production in higlhland Costa Rica. We identify bottlenecks to intensification and how they affect choices between more and less sustainable practices. To this end, we constructed a linear programming model of a highland dairy farm to simulate farmer decision making. Six models for three farm sizes are constructed from data collected via a 1990 survey and published material on nutritional requirements and forage yields. Significant economic and environmental trade-offs are found in response to low labor productivity or availability, and low protein content of forages. Costs are the focus on the economic side while on the environmental side, intensification, incentives to deforest, use of cut feed versus more erosive pasture, and manure versus chemical fertilization are examined. Land intensification is not economic unless researchers can provide labor-saving devices appropriate for small farms or improve protein content of forages. Another finding is that dry season milk production costs farmers in the region 1.1 to 3.4 colones more per kg than rainy season production (3.3 percent to 13.6 percent, depending upon the price received for milk). Expanding storage facilities would cost the processing plant less than paying farmers a two colones premium for year-round production. Since the value of land for producing milk exceeds clearing costs in nearly all models, compliance with land use controls to improve environmental sustainability is unlikely. Finally, targeting input and credit subsidies to inputs which improve labor productivity and encourage environmentally sustainable practices would mitigate economic and environmental trade-offs in milk production.
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| Format: | biblioteca |
| Published: |
Feb
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| Subjects: | PRODUCCION LECHERA, INTENSIFICACION, DESVIACION DEL USO DE LA TIERRA, PROGRAMACION LINEAL, COSTOS DE PRODUCCION, ZONA DE MONTAÑA, UTILIZACION DE LA TIERRA, MANO DE OBRA FAMILIAR, SOSTENIBILIDAD, COSTA RICA, |
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