EVALUATION OF CROP-DAIRY PRODUCTION SYSTEM IN NILE DELTA

Abstract

SUMMARY A linear programming (LP) model was applied to evaluate crop-dairy production system in small mixed farms in the Nile Delta through the impact of Food Sector Development Program (FSDP) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reform. The LP model considered land, labor, large ruminant genotypes, cropping pattern and available cash resources (ACR) as factors affecting production of this system. Technical coefficients of the LP model were estimated from a survey data collected from 492 farmers in five different governorates, Damietta (DAM), Daqahleia (DAQ), Gharbeia (GHA), Kafr El-Sheikh (KEL) and Menoufeia (MEN), during the period from 1993 to 2001. Two districts were sampled within each governorate, one with farmers collaborating with FSDP, who got at least one training package (C1) and another with non-collaborating farmers (receiving no training packages (control group)) (C0). The objective function of LP model was to determine the optimum combination of crops and dairy production, which maximizes the gross margin (GM) of the farm, which enhances the return per feddan (RPF) and the return per animal (RPA). One LP model with three runs was tested. The first run (base run) was to simulate the actual situation, the second (LP1) to avoid the unacceptable solution for the base run while the third (LP2) to get feasible solution for the district that had no feasible solution. Results suggested that, in base run solution, farmers in general should combine cultivating berseem in winter with rice in summer plus keeping buffalo before FSDP package adoption. While, after FSDP package adoption the farmers should combine cultivating cash crops with berseem in winter , rice in summer and crossbred cattle in district C1 in MEN and in both district in DAQ, while other districts should keep exotic cattle. The FSDP improved GM, RPF and RPA by about 9 %, 5% and 11%, respectively in base run, by about 10%, 7% and 10%, respectively, in LP1 and by about 8%, 3% and 10%, respectively in LP2. In conclusion LP model showed that, both land and available cash resources were the limiting resources while labor was not. In mixed dairy production system in Nile delta, dairy animal activities contribute substantially, about 25%, to the total farm gross margin.