Agrosystems Tornquist, Argentina 3. Technical-economic evaluation

Abstract

In East and West sectors of Tornquist (Argentina), in homogeneous áreas 1, 2, and 3, and in the 150-300, 301-700, 701- 1 000, and 1 001-2 500 ha strata, the following parameters were calculated: pregnacy, parturition, weaning, stocking rate, beef production, stock efficiency, grain yields and livestock (LGM), crop (CGM) and total (TGM) gross margin. The mean of these parameters were: 85.5%, 70.5%, 68.1%, 0.70 EV/ha, 79.9 kg/ha, 31.2%, 1 625 kg/ha, 5.7 $/ha, 18.9 $/ha, and 10.0 $/ha, respectively. Livestock índices were balanced between sectors, while stocking rate and beef production decreased, in order among áreas: 1, 2, and 3. The livestock production subsystems, which included fattening, produced more beef. Grain yields were greatest in the East and wheat, which occupied 85% of the agricultural área, yielded 1 633, 1 694, and 2 389 kg/ha in áreas 1, 2, and 3, respectively. No defínite trends were found for the strata. In general, LGM and CGM did not reflect the respective productivities due to variability in costs. Gross margins were similar between sectors and TGM in áreas 1, 2, and 3 were: 10.0, 7.4, and 8.8 $/ha, respectively. Low gross margin of the fattening subsystem in áreas 1 and 2 was ascribed to opportunity causes. From the smaller to greater strata TGM were: 10.9, 11.6, 8.2, and 9.2 $/ha, respectively. Based upon these results, the basic premises for the design of an ¡mproved model were defined.