Winsgewendheid van suiwelboerdery in die Swartland

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:Profit margins of typical farming systems in the Swartland have come under pressurebecause of international market forces decreasing milk and wheat prices as well as thederegulation of the agricultural marketing boards in South Africa after 1994. The profitmargins of small grain production systems are specifically under pressure. It hastherefore become necessary to evaluate different combinations of farming enterprisescontinuously.The profitability of changing farming enterprises can be examined by means of budgetingtechniques. In this study the profitability of the inclusion of more home grown feed stuffsin the fodder flow program of dairies, currently run according to a zero feed lot grazingsystem, was investigated. The technique of Linear Programming (LP) was used in thisregard.Grain production per hectare can vary to a large extent in the Swartland because of thelarge variation in soil forms and soil types. To accommodate these differences, a casestudy was conducted in each of the identified sub regions of the Swartland. Theinformation gained from each case study was presented to a panel of producers and otherexperts during group discussions. Technical experts ensured that the latest availabletechnology is applied, while the producers evaluated the practical implications of this. Afurther outcome of this method was that specialised subject related matters could beevaluated in group discussions focussing on the implications for the farming system as awhole. Thus, aspects related to the multidisciplinary nature of farming systems could beevaluated simultaneously.It is concluded that farm profitability can, under described circumstances be improved byincluding more home grown feed stuffs in the fodder flow program of the dairyproduction system.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University