In KwaZulu-Natal the production of beef in summer from veld is a common enterprise. Many techniques are available to optimise the productivity of this enterprise, from improving the quality of the grazing resource (planted pastures) to improving the diet of animals using nutritional supplements. To gain an insight into the production potential and financial returns possible from such improvements a trial was established at the Ukulinga Research Farm during two consecutive summer growing seasons (1997-1998 and 1998-1999). The aim was to determine the optimum beef production system for the area from both veld and kikuyu pastures. To evaluate the benefits of supplying supplementary nutrition, four alternate feed supplements, namely: 1) a Standard commercially available molasses-based protein/mineral/energy supplement; 2) a Brewers grain based protein/mineral/energy supplement, and two supplements consisting of the Brewers grain ration with either; 3) Avoparcin (an additive that improves dietary energy) or 4) Bentonite (an additive that increases the bypass of protein) were compared. As stocking rate has been shown to influence the quality of the diet consumed, the kikuyu pasture was grazed at both the recommended (1.92 LSD ha¯¹) and half the recommended stocking rate for the region. In addition, a commercial hormonal implant was applied to half of the cattle in each treatment. Grazing was monitored using the falling plate disc meter to measure pasture bulk density and laboratory analyses of herbage grab samples for digestibility and crude protein percentage. Cattle were weighed on a weekly basis and their condition was scored prior to slaughter. All enterprise costs and returns were recorded to facilitate financial analyses of the five treatments. Low rainfall and high midsummer temperatures had a detrimental effect on the productivity of the grazing and hence it was difficult to optimise production in either season. In the first season, a midsummer drought decreased the quality and quantity of both veld and kikuyu, limiting mass gain during the latter part of the season. A delay in the onset of rain at the start of the second season limited the available grazing season to 121 days as opposed to 154 days, though fodder production during the season was not limited. Trends in herbage production (quality and quantity) from veld showed moderate quality (Crude protein 7.02%; digestibility 50.2%) with an average available herbage of 1670 kg DM ha¯¹. As anticipated, kikuyu had higher quality (Crude protein 10.84%; digestibility 53.5%) and available herbage (2730 kg DM ha¯¹). These results were similar to regional benchmarks. The variable rainfall highlighted both the drought tolerance of veld and the minimum water requirements of kikuyu pastures. Lighter stocking rates tended to reduce the negative impact of moisture stress on Kikuyu pastures. The best method of producing beef (averaged over two seasons) was from heavily stocked Kikuyu pastures using the Standard supplement (1107.63 kg livemass ha¯¹). Cattle grazing veld and utilising the Avoparcin supplement produced beef at a rate of 95.96 kg ha¯¹. In comparison, the unsupplemented cattle grazing Kikuyu produced 834.87 kg ha¯¹, whilst veld grazing produced 64.43 kg ha¯¹. Hormonal implants significantly (P≤0.05) improved beef production from all sources of grazing. A lack of rain limited grazing time, causing all the cattle to be marketed whilst too lean - this negatively affected live mass gain and, hence, net financial. Although improved biological production is desirable, it is important to ensure that these gains are financially sustainable. Within the trial environment, implanted cattle fed the Standard supplement and grazing Kikuyu pastures at a high stocking rate provided the highest average gross margin of R 859.59 ha¯¹. Changing to this production system from unsupplemented veld improved expected profit by R 632.58 ha¯¹ (averaged over both seasons). Further financial analyses indicated that beef purchase price had the greatest influence on the added profit from switching from the control treatment. From a scientific standpoint these data are conclusive but it is important to remember that consumer pressure and concerns can often limit the introduction of production improvements. Such is the case with both hormonal implants and antibiotic feed additives (Avoparcin) although considering the impact of such limitations is speculative and beyond the scope of this trial. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

Orientador: Mara de Andrade Marinho / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-25T22:47:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maluf_Cintia_M.pdf: 1111592 bytes, checksum: e0d85a87354d7219b73f0892099372c4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Esse trabalho aborda o tema da política de crédito rural no Brasil, tratando particularmente do Programa para Redução da Emissão de Gases de Efeito Estufa na Agricultura (Programa ABC), instituído pelo Governo Federal em 2010. O objetivo geral da pesquisa foi analisar as condições gerais de financiamento do Programa ABC. Os objetivos específicos foram analisar a oferta e contratação de crédito no período de 2010/2011 a 2012/2013, e realizar uma análise setorial sobre a bovinocultura de corte, uma das principais cadeias produtivas da agropecuária brasileira e maior emissor de gases de efeito estufa. Com relação ao objetivo geral, verificou-se o protagonismo da ação e a característica inovadora do Programa ABC, como uma política de crédito rural na qual o consentimento do recurso é condicionado à adoção de boas práticas de manejo. Variações anuais nas condições de financiamento do Programa ABC, a saber a taxa de juros e prazos de carência e pagamento, tornaram-no mais atrativo ao longo do tempo. A respeito da contratação do crédito, os dados de execução do Programa ABC evidenciaram uma crescente demanda. Do montante ofertado no período entre as safras 2010/2011 a 2012/2013, de R$13,05 bilhões, foram executados 37% distribuídos em 16.445 contratos. No entanto, foram identificados como fatores limitantes ao seu desenvolvimento, a escassez de informações acerca do retorno financeiro de práticas preconizadas como ILP e ILPF, as especificidades da elaboração e análise dos projetos, bem como os entraves decorrentes da regularização ambiental e fundiária das propriedades contratantes. Os resultados obtidos da análise setorial da bovinocultura de corte no âmbito do Programa ABC, permitiram concluir que os prazos estabelecidos ao crédito são adequados aos ciclos de produção; e que suas linhas apresentaram características competitivas em relação aos demais programas de crédito rural para investimentos na bovinocultura de corte. Foi verificado ainda que os estados de Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul e São Paulo podem vir a apresentar maior demanda para a contratação de recursos financeiros com vistas à implantação de sistemas integrados como ILP e ILPF. Contudo, a relação histórica entre a oferta de crédito oficial e o desenvolvimento da bovinocultura de corte brasileira sugere a necessidade de desenvolvimento de formas alternativas ao estímulo da mitigação da emissão de gases de efeito estufa, que não exclusivamente a oferta de financiamento. Neste contexto, ressalta-se a importância das pesquisas acerca das ações de coordenação da cadeia produtiva, a fim de sensibilizar consumidores quanto às externalidades positivas das atividades de baixo impacto, permitindo a precificação diferenciada dos produtos e consequente agregação de valor ao pecuarista / Abstract: This paper addresses the impact of rural credit policy in Brazil, in the area of Planning and Sustainable Rural Development, particularly in relation to the Federal-sponsored Program for the Reduction of Greenhouse Gases Emissions in Agriculture (so-called ABC Program). Established in 2010, the Program aims to set nation-wide targets for reducing greenhouse gases emissions. This research was based on the overall objective to analyze the general conditions of financing the ABC Program. The specific objectives were based on the analyzes of the supply financial credit and contracting credit in the period 2010/2011 a 2012/2013, and a sectoral analysis of beef cattle breeding ¿ the sector is a major emitter of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated). With respect to the results, there was the role of action and innovative feature of the ABC Program as a rural credit policy in which the resource is conditional upon adoption of good management practices. Changes on the financing conditions offered by the ABC Program (i.e. interest rates and payback schedule) made it more attractive over time. Performance data of the ABC Program showed increased supply and borrowing of credit. The amount offered by the ABC Program between the 2010/2011 and 2012/2013 crops was U.S. $ 13.05 billion, of which 37 % were non-perfoming loans, distributed in 16,445 contracts. The main barriers for hiring ABC Program credit are the lack of knowledge about the Program, difficulties for developing and analyzing the projects, and barriers related to environmental and land regularization. In the time frame of the study, the hiring of credit increased, and the conditions for concession were adequate to finance production cycles from breeding to the complete cycle. The ABC Program showed competitive characteristics comparing with the other rural credit lines offered for beef cattle production. It was found that the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul, and São Paulo may present increased demand financing integrated systems such as Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems and Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry Systems, as advocated by the Program. However, the historical relationship between the supply of rural credit and development of beef cattle in Brazil suggests the need to develop alternative forms of stimulus for mitigating the effects of greenhouse gases emissions. In this context, it emphasizes the importance of researching supply chain coordination; alerting consumers about the positive externalities of low-impact activities and allowing for differentiated product pricing and, ultimately, adding value to the farmer / Mestrado / Planejamento e Desenvolvimento Rural Sustentável / Mestra em Engenharia Agrícola

This study attempts to identify factors responsible for determining differences in the productivity of cattle managed by communal and private livestock farmers in the southern region of Botswana during 1999/2000. It is hypothesised that herd productivity and investment in southern Botswana are higher on private ranches than on open access communal grazing land. This study is important because livestock, especially cattle, contribute significantly to the livelihood of farmers in Botswana. Cattle are a major source of meat, milk and draught power, and provide a store of wealth that protects against inflation and which can easily be converted into cash. Cattle production is also an important source of employment in the rural economy of Botswana. Furthermore, the export of beef is a major source of foreign exchange earnings, and cattle account for 80 percent of agriculture's contribution to Botswana's gross domestic product. A stratified random sample survey of communal and private livestock farmers was conducted in the southern region of Botswana from August 1999 to May 2000 with the assistance of four enumerators. The sample survey data were used to compute descriptive statistics and to estimate the parameters of a block recursive regression model. The model postulated relationships between agricultural credit, investment in fixed improvement, investment in operating inputs and herd productivity. Some of the equations are estimated with Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and some with Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) to account for likely correlation between endogenous explanatory variables and the error term. Descriptive statistics show that levels of investment and herd productivity are higher on private farms than on open-access communal grazing. Private farmers are also better educated, more liquid, and have larger herd sizes, but do not differ from their communal counterparts in terms of age, gender, race or household size. The regression results show that (a) respondents with secure tenure and larger herds use more agricultural credit than those who rely on open access communal grazing land to raise cattle; (b) secure land tenure, higher levels of liquidity and use of long-term credit promote investment in fixed improvements to land; (c) liquidity from short-term credit and wage remittances supports expenditure on operating inputs; and (d) herd productivity increases with greater investment in fixed improvement and operating inputs. Herd productivity is therefore positively (but indirectly) influenced by secure land tenure. It can therefore be inferred that government should (a) uphold private property rights to land where they already exists; (b) privatise open access grazing to individual owner operators where this is politically, socially, and economically feasible; and (c) where privatisation to individuals is not feasible, government should encourage users to convert the grazing into common property by subsidising the costs of defining user groups and the boundaries of their resources, and enforcing rules limiting individual use of common property. This first-step in a gradual shift towards more secure tenure should be followed by the conversion of user groups to non-user groups organized along the lines of investor-owned firms where members exchange use rights for benefit and voting rights in a joint venture managed by an expert. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Text in English / Cow size influences biological efficiency of individual animals, which influences herd composition and stock flow. This in turn influences the economic efficiency of the herd. This research followed the thread from animal size, to biological efficiency, to economic efficiency for beef cattle production under a typical production system in semi-arid South Africa. Cattle were grouped into three groups namely small, medium and large cattle, with mature weights of 300kg, 450kg and 600kg respectively. The net energy requirements of individual cattle were calculated for maintenance, growth, lactation and foetal production, for each of the three sizes. Growth rates, milk yield, reproduction rates, and management practices were assumed from existing research. Next the stock flow for a herd of small, medium and large cattle were calculated from the above. Income and expenses as commonly used in the research area were calculated from the stock flow. Gross profit above allocated costs were subsequently calculated for the three herds under the above-mentioned conditions. When assuming similar reproduction and growth rates for small, medium and large mature cattle, the following results were obtained: more heads of small cattle could be held on a set resource base, but the total live weight of a herd of large cattle that could be held on the same resource base was greater. This was mostly due to proportionately lower maintenance energy requirements in the herd of large cattle. In the simulation in this study, maintenance energy requirements for the herd of large cattle was 71.2%, compared to 72.0% for the herd of medium cattle and 73.1% for the herd of small cattle. Income from the herd of small cattle was the lowest, as less kilograms of beef were available to sell. Allocated costs for the herd of small cattle were the highest, due to a large number of expenses being charged per head of cattle. As a result, the herd of large cattle were more economically efficient than their smaller counterparts. Income above allocated costs for the herds of large, medium and small cattle were R1,182,865, R1,085,116 and R946,012 respectively. Larger cattle generally have a lower reproduction rate under similar conditions. No equation exists that directly links size to reproduction rates, especially considering the vast number of variables that influences reproduction rates. However, in the form of scenarios, it could be calculated that, given a reproduction rate of 80% for mature small cattle, when reproduction rates of large cattle were 24.7% lower than that of small cattle and the reproduction rates of medium cattle were 15.4% lower than that of small cattle, the large and medium herds became less profitable than the small herd. Smaller cattle mature faster than larger cattle which provides the opportunity for early breeding. When small cattle were bred early, at 15 months, at a calving rate of only 44.5% it was more profitable than when the same cows were bred at 24 months. When medium cattle were bred at 15 months, a calving rate of 37.0% was needed to be more profitable than when they were bred at 24 months. Even when the herd of small cattle were bred at 15 months with a reproduction rate of 100%, it could still not match the profitability of the herd of large cattle bred at 24 months given the reproduction rates of all other classes of animals were similar. When the herd of medium cattle were bred at 15 months, at a calving rate of 53.7%, it matched the profit of the herd of large cattle that were bred at 24 months, when the reproduction rates of other classes were equal. Scenarios were considered were feed intake was limited. When feed was limited to a specific amount, smaller cattle were more biologically efficient and cattle with potential for small mature sizes would grow to a larger size than cattle with potential for medium and large mature sizes. When feed was limited by a factor of the calculated energy requirements of small, medium and large cattle, large cattle were more effective. This is because large cattle use proportionately less energy for maintenance, which allows more energy to be allocated to growth, lactation and foetal production. When energy was limited to an amount per unit of metabolic weight, small cattle were more efficient than medium and larger cattle in the growth and production phases. Small, medium and large cattle were equally efficient (or inefficient) in the maintenance and lactation phases. Energy requirements of cattle in South Africa are commonly calculated using the Large Stock Unit (LSU). The LSU typically overestimates energy requirements for cattle, except in the lactation phase. When using the LSU to match small, medium or large cattle to a resource base, the LSU overestimates energy requirements of large cattle proportionately more than that of small and medium cattle. This is excluding the lactation phase, where energy requirements for all three sizes are underestimated and that of large cattle underestimated proportionately more. There are more considerations when matching cow size to managerial practices. A smaller body size is a natural adaptation to a semi-arid environment and this adaptation can be expressed in different ways. The number of animals on a resource base has implications on management practices. Having more heads of cattle on a resource base increases genetic variation of the herd, allowing for genetic progress to be made faster than in herd of fewer cattle. / Agriculture and  Animal Health / M.Sc. (Agriculture)