Multiple goal feasibility of forage shrub plantations in a semi-arid mediterranean-type agropastoral system

Abstract

This study is an ex ante analysis of multiple goal feasibility of forage shrub plantations in the context of a sheep and wheat agropastoral system. The goals imposed on the system were ‘farmer's income’ represented by gross margin, ‘regional balance of payments's represented by added foreign currency value per unit area and local currency cost of the added value, and ‘employment’ represented by size of farm unit. The socio-economic scenario is appropriate for a semi-arid Mediterranean environment where rural areas are close to urban centres of population and industry. Under such conditions, multiple goal feasibility of shrub plantations was limited by added foreign currency value and farm size in extensive systems, and by gross margin and cost of the added value in intensive systems. Improved ewe productivity improved overall feasibility. Feed substitution per se could not justify forage shrub plantations, but even a small improvement in the weaning rate consequent on the addition of a forage shrub component would greatly increase multiple goal feasibility, particularly in more intensive systems. However, it needs to be shown that such improvement can indeed be achieved in practice.