Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Arizona, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 178-190).

This thesis is an examination of the origins and development of the British Columbia ranching community and livestock industry. The argument is based on the assumption that the settlement of the Southern Interior Plateau stimulated the growth of a peculiar agricultural economy dependent primarily on stock raising, which in turn, played a prominent role in the region's political, economic and social development. The British Columbia ranching frontier was preceded by the practical foundation of agriculture and animal husbandry in the Oregon country under the guidance of the Hudson1s Bay Company and its maturity under the independent American settler. With the discovery of gold in British Columbia, the American ranching frontier extended northward temporarily to fulfill the demands of the mining market and in the process the Interior livestock industry was established. Through the implementation of a pre-emption system and the hesitant introduction of pastoral leases, the colonial administrations slowly came to realize that the settlement of the Interior Plateau depended initially upon the promotion of stock raising. In its first stage of settlement, the isolated ranching frontier did not experience serious competition for site nor did one ethnic, social or economic group control the region's development. With the gradual decline of the mining industry and the frustrations surrounding the transcontinental railway, the new province of British Columbia entered a decade of economic recession. For the Interior ranching community, however, it represented a period of gradual economic expansion and growing influence in the political sphere. Once railway construction was finally commenced in 1880, the ranchers' concentration upon stock raising during the past two decades stimulated a period of unparalleled prosperity and land consolidation for the established Interior ranching population. After 18 8 5 the character of Interior settlement and the livestock industry began to experience the inevitable transitions of a more mobile and industrialized society. While the cattle ranchers, as the largest landowners, maintained a comfortable livelihood, they were visibly alarmed by the formation of large ranching companies and the growing competitive strength of the Alberta ranching frontier. Nevertheless, while the broader problems of the ranching industry now required a more united front, the established ranchers continued to operate on an independent, individualistic basis. Ultimately, this led to tension within the ranching community itself and a declining role in the economy of the province. / Arts, Faculty of / History, Department of / Graduate

Utah cattle ranchers realize relatively little profit from ranch ownership and management. This study represents an attempt to identify ranch management strategies that produce more profit over time than do conventional strategies. To identify optimum management strategies for the long term, analyses of ranches under both normal and adverse ranch operation conditions using the COPLAN linear programming model were made for strategy comparison. To depict these ranch business environmental conditions, production levels were estimated from available biological data and price levels were estimated by indexing 1977 ranch product prices (the most current budget data available for Utah). The variability of strategy expected net returns above variable costs over a defined array of ranch operation conditions was estimated to evaluate income stability for each strategy. Overall profitability comparisons were made among strategies for evaluation in the context of ranch ownership and management. Percent returns on owned ranch capital were estimated as the basis for this comparison. Optimum strategies based on various ranch operation conditions for a large Utah cattle ranch were similar, as were optimum strategies based on the same conditions for a small Utah cattle ranch. Availability of winter/spring forage should be the principal constraint limiting cow-herd size based on the analyses. Range improvement practices that reduce the winter/spring range forage bottleneck are economically feasible in general, however, such practices must be evaluated on a site-specific basis. Optimum strategies for both large and small ranches focused on: 1) intensively managed cow/yearling enterprises at herd levels corresponding to levels of available winter/spring forage, 2) intensively managed crop production enterprises based on sale of crops, and 3) yearling stocker steer enterprises based on seasonal forage surplus. The economic analyses showed that alternative (optimum) management strategies could increase profit over conventional strategies dramatically. Optimum strategies for the large ranch produced net returns above variable costs many times greater than those produced by the strategy employed in 1977. Expected net returns above variable costs that resulted from small ranch optimum strategies were vastly superior to those produced by the 1977 strategy. Working capital requirement increased approximately 50 percent over levels required by strategies employed in 1977 for both large and small ranch optimum strategies. Expected income variances and standard deviations were greater for both large and small ranch optimum strategies than for strategies practiced in 1977; however, income standard deviations expressed as percentages of strategy expected values (relative income variabilities) were much less. Percent returns on owned ranch capital expected from the practice of optimum strategies were eight times greater than percent returns from practice of the 1977 strategy for the large Utah cattle ranch and six times greater than those resulting from employment of the 1977 small ranch strategy.

Five long-run average cost curves were derived from questionnaire and interview data by connecting points corresponding to the per unit production costs and levels of beef output for four cattle ranch sizes (50, 150, 300, and 500 head of breeding cows). Analysis of the long-run average cost curves in combination with the 1968 weighted Utah beef price revealed that all four ranch sizes studied are capable of meeting cash costs. If the goal of the ranch operator is to meet both cash costs and depreciation, a cattle ranch supporting 105 breeding cows is the minimum size necessary. If provision is made to cover cash costs and depreciation in addition to receiving a fair return for operator and family labor, the ranch must support at least 360 breeding cows. None of the four ranch sizes studied were capable of meeting all production costs including five per cent interest on investment. The minimum ranch size necessary to cover all production costs including 1 . 4 per cent interest on investment is 500 head of breeding cows. Farmer questionnaires and the machine capacity technique provided data from which five long-run average cost curves were derived by connecting points representing average production costs and levels of wheat output for four sizes of wheat farms (500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 acres). The long-run average cost curves were analyzed in combination with the 1968 Utah wheat price. All four wheat farm sizes studied are capable of meeting cash costs. In order to cover both cash costs and depreciation a wheat farm of at least 940 acres is required. The minimum wheat farm size necessary to meet cash costs and depreciation as well as provide a fair return to operator and family labor is 2430 acres. None of the four sizes of wheat farms studied was large enough to cover all costs including interest on investment at five per cent. In order to cover all production costs including 0,64 per cent interest on investment a wheat farm of at least 3000 acres is required, Costs and returns to five management alternatives for marginal Utah cropland ( (1) wheat production by owner-operator, (2) leasing crop.. land to tenants for dryland wheat production, (3) leasing forage on an AUM basis, (4) leasing of forage on a livestock gain basis, and (5) stocker cattle production by the land owner) were compared in the shortrun, in the long-run assuming that all inputs were variable, and in the long-run assuming that land and operator and family labor were fixed, For the marginal cropland owner who also owns wheat production factors, wheat production on an owner-operator basis is the most favorable short-run alternative. Wheat production on a tenant basis is the only short-run alternative open to cropland owners who own neither wheat production factors nor the improvements necessary for grazing enterprises. Leasing forage on a livestock gain basis is the most favorable short-run alternative for cropland owners whose holdings are equipped with grazing improvements. For the long-run situation in which all inputs were considered variable, all five management alternatives yielded negative returns. Under such conditions a rational land owner would refuse to choose from among the five alternatives studied and would instead liquidate his land holdings. When operator and family labor and land were considered fixed, leasing cropland to tenants for dryland wheat production proved to be the most favorable long-run management alternative. Showing the second highest internal rate of return was leasing forage on a livestock gain basis followed ~ stocker cattle production by the land owner. Wheat production ~ the land owner and leasing forage on an AUM basis proved to be the least favorable long-run management alternatives on marginal cropland.

No description available.

The area of investigation concerns the possible uses of the Bar BF Ranch in Smithville, Missouri. The business that will ultimately lead to the greatest growth potential is sought. Two possibilities are outlined. The major finding for a growth industry is that of breeding extremely rare straight Egyptian Arabian horses. They are unequaled in classic beauty and thus possess a high profit potential as a genetic pool for the Arabian market world wide. The alternate growth concept for the Bar BF Ranch would be as a quest ranch specializing in horseback riding. The site has been approved for this use by the Dude Ranchers Association of America. The author concludes that the breeding of straight Egyptian Arabian horses will be the primary objective of the Bar BF Ranch, based upon industry findings and return of investment potential.

The state of Utah is comprised of 52.7 million acres of land of which 86 percent is covered by range vegetation. This rangeland provides part or all of the feed for approximately 430,000 head of cattle and 1,300,000 sheep. Rangeland products constitute from 33 to 40 percent of the agriculture income within the Intermountain Region. Utah's vast rangeland area represents a basic resource of considerable importance to her economy.

The high feed grain prices of the last few years and the resulting high prices for heavy feeder cattle relative to lightweight feeder calves may provide economic incentives to market cattle from rangelands as yearlings. A majority of the economic studies investigating the profitability of retained ownership of beef calves to sell as yearlings have used a budgeting technique to compare a straight cow-yearling operation retaining all calves, to a straight cow-calf operation selling all calves. In this study linear programming was used to develop an optimum combination of various livestock marketing alternatives for maximizing net ranch income. Two typical Utah ranch sizes (150 and 300 head of brood cows) were modeled and optimum range livestock marketing schemes were developed using linear programming analysis. Based on average Utah cattle prices for 1970-1975 the optimum range livestock management alternatives for both ranch sizes in terms of maximizing net ranch income was to reduce the cow herd 25 percent and use the released feed resources to retain all steer calves for sale as yearlings. Retention of heifer calves was not profitable a nd they were sold a t weaning . Net ranch income for the optimum strategy was only slightly higher than the income of the base cow-calf ope ration for the small ranch. The large ranch showed a larger gal.n in net ranch income from retention of yearlings . The capital requirement of the optimum strategies was three to five percent less than for the base cow-calf operations. A reduction in the size of the breeding herd to accommodate retained yearlings would result in a r eduction in the number of feeder livestock marketed. Potential decreases in U. S. beef production f rom 1 to 4 percent were estimated if 25-100 percent of the ranchers in the 11 western states adopted the optimum management alternative. These reductions would result in an increase in the price of beef in the U. S. of 1 to 6 percent.

Submitted by Caroline Falcao (caroline.rfalcao@ufpe.br) on 2017-06-08T18:43:21Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) 2012-dissertacao-RomuloNegreiros.pdf.pdf: 9896120 bytes, checksum: a0d2f12b089f032b887c8d43db46ad4f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-08T18:43:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) 2012-dissertacao-RomuloNegreiros.pdf.pdf: 9896120 bytes, checksum: a0d2f12b089f032b887c8d43db46ad4f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-04-29 / O Sertão das Pimenteiras, último reduto “não civilizado”da Capitania do Piauí, foi, entre os anos 1769 e 1815, palco de conflitos entre os índios Pimenteira e os colonizadores. Os colonos almejavam ocupar essas terras principalmente para dar continuidade à expansão da indústria agro-pastoril no interior da América Portuguesa. Os índios, por longos tempos habitantes efetivos desse sertão, foram para os colonos um empecilho para a ocupação da área. Os Pimenteira atacavam constantemente as fazendas degado, matando e afugentando seus moradores. Levantamos a hipótese de que a motivação dos índios para atacarem as fazendasseria, principalmente, visando proteger e controlar o território e os seus recursos. Partindo da relação espacial que os assentamentos indígenas mantinham com as fazendas de gado atacadas, objetivávamos entender como se configuraram as territorialidades deambos os grupos no sudeste da Capitania do Piauí durante a guerra da conquista O georeferenciamento dos assentamentos de ambos os grupos foi resultado da aplicação de métodos de reconhecimento arqueológico de território no sudeste do Piauí, como o levantamento documental, prospecção de superfície, imagens de satélite e informações orais coletadas nas comunidades. Ao todo foram reconhecidos e identificados dois assentamentos indígenas e onze fazendas de gado. A produção de mapas com a distribuição espacial dos sítios permitiu a realização das análises. Nossos dados mostram que os ataques dos índios ao longo da guerra promoviam sistematicamente a desocupação colonial da região. O mesmo aconteceu do lado dos colonos, vencedores da guerra. Como resultado dessa vitória militar, os índios foram assimilados ao sistema econômico capitalista e o seu território tomado. / The Sertão das Pimenteiras, the last “uncivilized”strongholdof the Captaincyof Piauí, during the years1769and 1815, it was the scene of constant conflicts betweenthe Pimenteira Indiansand the colonizers. The colonizerswished tooccupy theselandsmainlyto carry on theexpansion ofagro-pastoralists in the interiorof Portuguese America. The Indians, for a longtimeresidentsofinteriortroopswere,for the colonizers,a hamper to theoccupation of the area. ThePimenteiraconstantlyattackedcattle farms, killing and driving awaytheir inhabitants. Taking the assumption that the motivationof the Indiansto attackthe farmswould beprimarilyto protect andcontrol both their territoryand resources. Based on thespatial relationshipthatindigenous settlementssubsisted oncattle farmsattacked,we tried to understand how theyshaped theterritorialityof both groupsin southeasternPiauíCaptaincyduringthe warof conquest.The georeferencingof the settlements inboth groupswas the resultof applyingrecognition methodsofarchaeologicalterritoryin southeasternPiauí, as thedocumentary survey, surfaceexploration, satellite images andoral informationcollectedin the communities. As result, werecognizedand identifiedtwonative settlementsand elevencattle ranches. The production ofmaps showingthe spatial distributionof sitesallowedus to perform the analyzes. Our data showthat the attacksof the Indiansthroughout the warsystematicallypromotedthecolonialevictionsof the region. The samehappenedon the sideof the colonists, who won the war.As a result ofmilitary victory, the Indianswereassimilated into thecapitalist economic systemand their territory wastaken.

The main objectives of this study can be divided into three categories. In the first place it refers to the determination of production- and reproduction norms for the different main production areas in the greater Burgersdorp area, to promote production. In the second place it refers to the determination of the different management styles of sheep farmers in the greater Burgersdorp area. In the third place it refers to the calculation of gross margins for sheep farming in the greater Burgersdorp area, to establish the sustainable economic position. The survey area (the greater Burgersdorp area) includes the magisterial districts of Burgersdorp, Molteno, Steynsburg and Venterstad. The four magisterial districts were divided into two main production areas namely Stormberg Highveld and Burgersdorp Lowveld. Stormberg Highveld includes Molteno and the high-lying area (highveld) of Burgersdorp. Burgersdorp Lowveld comprises Steynsburg, Venterstad and the low-lying area (lowveld) of Burgersdorp. The management strategies of sheep farmers in the survey area were determined by means of a questionnaire and statistically analysed. The economic analyses of the sheep industry (wool and meat) were performed with the Geyer computer model. In this study it showed that the Dorper farmers obtained the highest gross margin per sheep. The lowest gross margin per sheep resulted from the Vleismerino farmers. Although the composition of the gross production value and the directly allocatable variable costs compare favourably, each main production area has unique management strategies for the different sheep breeds. The different management strategies can serve as the norm for extensive sheep farming, applicable to the specific main production area.