Technology adoption and competitiveness in small milk producing farms in Costa Rica: a case study (part one)

[摘要] Objectivesweretounderstandtherationalityoftechnologyadoptionandcompetitivenessofdairyproductionsystemsinopenmarkets,takingasacasestudythereplicationsofanintensivemilkproductionprototypewhichwereestablishedinthetropicalhumidlowlandsfrom1979to1984aspartofanagrarianreformplan.Datawere(1)asurveyto44replicationsinAprilandJuneof1991tounderstandtheirbiologicalandeconomicalevolution,and(2)preliminaryevaluationsandmacro-economicdataofthelast20yearstounderstandtendenciesinpoliciesandprices.Improvedpastureshavedegradedduetolossesinsoilfertility,causingareductioninmilkyieldperhectareevenwhentheamountofconcentratefeedsofferedhaveincreased.Netincomeshavedeterioratedwithtime,coveringonlylabourcostsvaluedasminimumwage.Thesesystemshavebasedtheirproductionontheuseoffamilylabour(62%to76%ofproductioncosts),under-utilized24%to37%.Additionally,labourcosthassystematicallyincreased4%ayearinrealtermsforthelast20years.CostaRicahasprovidedincentivesformilkproductionthroughsubsidizedcredits,highprices,andimportrestrictions.Theseeffectshavegeneratedasmallsurpluswithfewpossibilitiestocompetebecausemilkpriceatthefarmgateis$0.29/kgandintheinternationalmarket$0.20/kg.Assumingapricereductionatinternationallevelsinanopenmarketeconomy,thesesystemswouldsurvivelessthanfouryearsiftheyreceivedminimumwagefortheirlabour.Intensifyingproductionisnotviableduetosoildegradation,thustheonlyalternativeistoincreasefarmsize.Researchisneededtofacilitatethetransitionofthesefarmstootheralternativeusesandtodevelopmechanismstopromotedairyexpansioninotherecozonesofferingcomparativeadvantageinopenmarkets.

[学科分类] 农业科学（综合）