Modeling the cattle Subsector: A Demonstration in Guyana Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The complex nature of cattle production and its multiyear production process confronts policy makers with a difficult problem of evaluating proposals relating to the cattle subsector. A mathematical programming sector model is developed to assist policy makers in objectively analyzing alternative proposals. The model explicitly incorporates individual producer behaviour and accounts for the dynamic nature of cattle production through a multiyear formulation and endogenous valuation of ending inventory. To account for transitional adjustment more fully, a recursive quadratic programming model is employed. The model s specified for Guyana, South America. New production alternatives for Guyanese cattle producers are simulated. The results indicate that two new alternatives are viable and also demonstrate the usefulness of the model as a tool to evaluate such proposals. La nature complexe et le caractre pluriannual du processus de production bovine confronte les planificateurs un difficile problme d'valuation des projets lis ce secteur. Un modle sectoriel de programmation mathmatique a t dvelopp pour aider les planificateurs analyser objectivement les diffrents projets envisags. Le modle incorpore explicitement le comportement individuel du producteur et prend en ligne de compte la nature dynamique de la production bovine travers une formulation pluriannuelle en une valuation endogne des stocks de fin de periode. Afin de prendre entierment en consideration les adjustements transitionnels, on a employ un programme quadratique rcursif. Le Modle a t spcifi pour la Guyana situe en Amerique du Sud. De nouvelles alternatives de production proposes aux leveurs guyanais ont t tste et simule avec ce modle. Les rsultats obtenus indiquent que deux de ces alternatives son viables. Ils dmontrent galement l'utilit d'un tel modle comme outil d'valuation de tels projets. Copyright 1980, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved

published proceedings

  • Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d agroeconomie

author list (cited authors)

  • Spreen, T. H., McCarl, B. A., & White, T. K.

citation count

  • 2

complete list of authors

  • Spreen, Thomas H||McCarl, Bruce A||White, T Kelley

publication date

  • February 1980

publisher