Evolution and sensitivity to hazards of technical and economic indicators of suckler cow farms according to different production systems : A panel data analysis of 55 French...
Abstract
Suckler cow farmers are challenged both by the evolution of their socio-economic environment and by weather and market risks. This study was aimed at testing if farms characterised a priori by a higher flexibility are less sensitive to weather and beef price risks without experiencing lower average income.
Technical and economic variables were extracted from a panel dataset of 55 farms from the French Charolais area over the period 1987-2007. Three production profiles were defined according to stocking rate and male fattening rate criteria. Longer production cycles are supposed to provide a higher diversity of animal in a short run and lower stocking rate. To face weather variability, adjustments concerned mainly animal supplementation and haymaking and were used above all by the farmers with the highest stocking rate. These farmers then experienced higher income variability in response to weather conditions. The farmers fattening the most were less sensitive to price variations. Average income was not significantly different according to profiles. Regarding farm evolution, we observed an increase of farm size, an intensification of animal production and a decrease of male fattening. The farms with the lowest stocking rate tended to decrease even more their forage management.
Attachments
No supporting information for this article##plugins.generic.statArticle.title##
Views: 890
Most read articles by the same author(s)
- J.P. GAREL, M. PETIT, J. AGABRIEL, Winter feeding of upland suckler cows , INRAE Productions Animales: Vol. 1 No. 1 (1988)
- F. GARCIA, J. AGABRIEL, Update of feeding recommendations for fattening of culled cows. Development of a model for the estimation of the composition of weight gain and associated requirements , INRAE Productions Animales: Vol. 20 No. 2 (2007): Dossier : Alimentation des ruminants
- P. VEYSSET , F. BECHEREL , D. BEBIN , Organic suckling cattle farming system in the Massif Central : technical and economic results , INRAE Productions Animales: Vol. 22 No. 3 (2009): Numéro spécial : Elevage bio
- G. LIENARD , M. LHERM , M.C. PIZAINE , J.Y. LE MARECHAL, B. BOUSSANGE , J.F. BELARD , Suckler herd breeders adaptation, in Limousin area (center France). Changes during ten years (1989-1999) , INRAE Productions Animales: Vol. 15 No. 4 (2002)
- J.B. COULON, J. AGABRIEL, A study of some feeding systems for ruminants : different methods of application , INRAE Productions Animales: Vol. 5 No. 5 (1992)
- M. ROUX, R. DUMONT, J. AGABRIEL, J. BONNEMAIRE, D. MICOL, Effects of dietary protein level on fattening of cull Charolais cows , INRAE Productions Animales: Vol. 6 No. 3 (1993)
- S. INGRAND, B. DEDIEU, J. AGABRIEL, Critères de constitution des lots de vaches dans des troupeaux bovins allaitants Limousins et Charolais , INRAE Productions Animales: Vol. 12 No. 1 (1999)
- G. LIÉNARD, D. BÉBIN, M. LHERM, P. VEYSSET, Forage harvesting methods and beef production systems in the Charolais area , INRAE Productions Animales: Vol. 11 No. 5 (1998)
- G. LIENARD, M. LHERM, D. BEBIN, Beef production from suckling cow farms in defavourised zones : evolution and questions , INRAE Productions Animales: Vol. 9 No. 4 (1996)
- J. AGABRIEL, J.P. GAREL, J. LASSALAS, M. PETIT, Y. Vantomme, P. Maronne, F. Decuq, The fattening of cull cows in mountain conditions , INRAE Productions Animales: Vol. 4 No. 5 (1991)