Publication Date

11-1985

Series Number

Version 1

Publisher

Department of Agriculture, Western Australia

City

Perth

ISBN

0 7244 8902 9

Abstract

A profit maximising mathematical programming dairy farm model has been developed which determines the most profitable management strategies for the full year. This model was initially an extension of the one used in the Western Australian Dairy Feed Management Service (DFMS) which determines the most profitable ration to feed for a specific period, the milk yield per cow and the number of cows to milk. The DFMS is useful for formulating a ration for a specific period, particularly during summer on non-irrigated farms in Western Australia when complete hand feeding is required, but it cannot be used to determine optimum management strategies for the whole year or the whole farm system such as the number of cows to calve at different times of the year, pasture utilisation and fodder conservation. These factors cannot be determined for one point in time without taking into account the full year.

The APEX linear programme package is used to run the model at the W.A. Regional Computing Centre. The APEX programme is also available through CSIRONET, CSIRO's computer network based at Canberra. There are over 400 columns and 300 rows in the standard matrix but this varies with particular runs.

This documentation is for two standard dairy farms in Western Australia and includes assumptions for both an irrigated and a dryland farm. The base data for these farms are revised for specific runs of the model.

The model can be modified so as to be applicable for other states. The same structure can be used but many of the assumptions in the Western Australian model would need to be revised. These changes can be made and separate documentations produced for particular regions provided persons with experience in the regions who are prepared to obtain an understanding of mathematical programming models are involved with the detailed revision and date collection.

The model will be continually revised as there will always be parts that can be improved with new information. This is the first version of the documentation and some assumptions are based on best available estimates where accurate data are not currently available. This applies to the coefficients used for grazing efficiency and the activity allowances added to the metabolisable energy requirements for livestock. The model has been constructed using the best information available at present. Individual parts of the model will be revised as new information becomes available.

Number of Pages

63

Keywords

Mathematical programming, Dairy farm, Management strategies, Whole farm system

Disciplines

Agricultural Economics | Agricultural Education | Business Intelligence | Management Information Systems | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Mathematics | Natural Resource Economics | Operations and Supply Chain Management | Statistical Models

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