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.