A discussion support model for a regional dairy-pasture system with an example from Reunion island

Reunion Island, situated in the Indian Ocean, presents a unique case study for modelling regional bio-economic parameters of the dairy industry. It is a good example of a closed system for several parameters of the model such as movement of animals, labour, consumption and available land. The existence of several agro-ecological zones from tropical to temperate, and various different types of terrain and vegetation presents another unique opportunity to study the impact of these features on the dairy industry. The present study models the dairy sector at a regional (island) level to study the impact of new or adapted agricultural policies in relation to changes in subsidy levels, price fluctuations and environmental policies (mainly nitrogen management). The model can be used to generate a number of scenarios to explore the effects of various policy measures, such as fixing the stocking rate according to EU norms, increasing or decreasing the milk subsidy, intensification (such as an increase in milk production to the allotted quota of 40 million litres/yr) and varying labour/price constraints (such as a reduction in labour hours or an increase or decrease in the milk price). The model is being utilized by the local dairy cooperative as a discussion support tool to study the implications at the regional scale of expanding the sector and assessing its economic, environmental and social impac

Rapid, accurate and direct determination of total lycopene content in tomato paste

Lycopene that imparts red color to the tomato fruit is the most potent antioxidant among carotenes, an important nutrient and also used as a color ingredient in many food formulations. Since cooked and processed foods derived from tomatoes were shown to provide optimal lycopene boost, products such as paste, puree, juice, etc. are nowadays gaining popularity as dietary sources. The analysis of lycopene in tomato paste (partially dehydrated product prepared by vacuum concentrating tomato juice) is carried out using either high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), spectrophotometry, or by evaluating the color. The instability of lycopene during processes of extraction, etc., handling, and disposal of organic solvents makes the preparation of a sample for the analysis a delicate task. Despite a recognized need for accurate and rapid assessment of lycopene in tomato products no such method is available at present. The study described here focuses on a direct determination of a total lycopene content in different tomato pastes by means of the laser optothermal window (LOW) method at 502 nm. The concentration of lycopene in tomato paste ranged between 25 and 150 mg per 100 g product; the results are in excellent agreement with those obtained by spectrophotometry. The time needed to complete LOW analysis is very short, so that decomposition of pigment and the formation of artifacts are minimized. Preliminary results indicate a good degree of reproducibility making the LOW method suitable for routine assays of lycopene content in tomato paste. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics

Exploring options for farm-level strategic and tactical decision-making in fruit production systems of South Patagonia Argentina

In South Patagonia, Argentina, sweet cherry is the main fruit-tree crop grown for export, resulting in a highly seasonal labour demand. Managers of deciduous perennial fruit orchards must consider both biological and economic relationships in selecting crop species and orchard design. This makes decisions at the farm-level extremely complex, as especially in such perennial crops, strategic (`what to plant¿, `with which technology¿ and `how much area of each activity¿, i.e. the final design) and tactical (`when, what and how to plant in time¿, the pathway to the planned farm) decisions have a long-term effect. The objective of this study was to explore the consequences of different strategic and tactical decisions at farm scale in fruit production systems of South Patagonia, considering the variation in interests and aims of different stakeholders, and using a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the consequences of possible changes in external conditions. A dynamic farm-scale optimization model called OPTIFROP was developed to generate alternative farm development plans, by allocating, in the course of the time horizon of the run, production activities to different land units, while optimising different objective functions, subject to several constraints. Although time-dependent, dynamic, mathematical programming models for analysing farming systems have been described in literature, the dynamic aspects of long-term decision-making in orchard design and their impact on the sequential (annual) nature of orchards in different growth phases (i.e. medium-term decision-making), need a higher time-staged dynamic approach with a staircase matrix structure. The model includes two objective functions at farm level: (1) maximization of the present value of cumulative financial result, which is the main objective for growers, and (2) maximization of cumulative farm labour, which is an objective often mentioned by policy makers. The inter-months deviation for labour demand (during the period of high labour demand, November¿April) was included as an upper-bound. Input and output coefficients for the land use options considered in OPTIFROP were quantified using the Technical Coefficient Generator FRUPAT. Model results indicated that the present value of cumulative financial result and the cumulative farm labour are conflicting to a very limited extent. Timing and feasibility of implementing certain combinations of production technologies are affected by resource endowments and initial conditions, but these factors do not influence land use selection in the long term. Land use selection is driven by the objectives of the stakeholders. OPTIFROP showed that, through introduction of alternative crops, substantial reductions in labour peaks in the period November¿April could be achieved with a relatively small reduction in farm income. The sensitivity of the model solution to the cherry price suggests that the fruit production sector of South Patagonia should pay more attention to the robustness of their land use plans and take preventive measures to avoid being caught by a possible crisis due to changes in the context

Policies to support economic and environmental goals at farm and regional scales: Outcomes for rice farmers in Southern India depend on their resource endowment

Improving water use and nitrogen efficiencies is of overall importance to society at large - to conserve scarce water resources and prevent environmental pollution. Efficient cultivation practices for rice which had no yield penalty were not adopted by farmers because of the open access to water free of charge. Well-chosen combinations of policy measures are thus needed to stimulate adoption of new cultivation practices. We developed a multi-objective linear programming (MGLP) model to explore the impact of: (i) modified rice cultivation including water-saving irrigation on farm profit; (ii) water pricing and water quota government policies on adoption of modified rice cultivation by farmers; (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii) to achieve the objectives of both farmers and society at large, and (iv) to study the trade-offs between income, water and nitrogen use. The analysis was carried out on four rice-based farm types for the state of Tamil Nadu, South India. Model results showed that observed farm profit of all four farm types could be increased using current practices simply by optimizing land use for specific crops. Adoption of modified rice cultivation further increased farm profit. Water-saving practices were selected only when water pricing was introduced. Farm profits were reduced even at low water prices but were compensated by farmers through adoption of modified rice cultivation. The combination of policies that stimulate adoption of modified rice cultivation was effective in achieving both increased farm income and water savings. The required water prices differed across farm types and seasons and impacted poor resource-endowed farmers the most. Providing water quotas could protect the poor resource-endowed farmers. The model helped to identify the optimal water price and water quota for each farm type to achieve both the objectives of farmers and society at large. Opportunities for reducing water use and avoiding environmental pollution at acceptable profits are available for all farm types, but need to be tailored to the farmers' resource endowments. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved