Benefits of adopting improved forages in smallholder farms in Central America: An ex post analysis

摘要

Theobjectiveofthisstudywastoestimatethebenefitsreceivedbyproducerswhoadoptedimprovedforagesaspartofaproject[1]carriedoutinGuatemala,Honduras,Nicaragua,andCostaRicaintermsofincreasedproductivity,stockingrate,andincomeduetotheadditionalsaleofmilkandbeefinretributionforfamilylabor.Datawereobtainedfromasurveycarriedoutin2007thatincludednineproducersinGuatemala,16inHonduras,16inNicaragua,and15inCostaRicawhohadadopteddifferentgrassandlegumeoptionsduringtheperiod2003-2007.nbsp;Theareaplantedtoimprovedpasturesincreasedinallcountries,rangingfrom12%inGuatemalato105%inNicaragua.ExceptforGuatemala(wheretheanimalinventorydecreasedalmost11%duetoHurricaneStan),allcountriesexpandedtheirherds(between34%and41%)inpracticallyallanimalcategories,notonlyadultcows.On-farmmilkproductionduringthedryseasonincreased9%inGuatemala,47%inHondurasandNicaragua,and71%inCostaRica.MilkproductionduringtherainyseasonremainedpracticallyinvariableinGuatemala,butincreased48%inHonduras,19%inNicaragua,and53%inCostaRica.nbsp;Ontheotherhand,theseincreasesinmilkproductionwerealsofavoredbytheriseinmilkpricesinallcountries,rangingfrom7%inNicaraguato36%inCostaRicaduringthedryseasonandfrom4%inNicaraguato36%inCostaRicaduringtherainyseason.Beefproductionaccordinglyincreased15%inNicaragua,46%inHonduras,and74%inCostaRica.similartothetrendobservedinmilkproduction,beefproductiondidnotincreaseinGuatemalabecauseproducershadtosellanimalstorecoverfromthelossescausedbyHurricaneStan.Likewise,attheendoftheproject,producersinallcountriesreceivedhigherpricesascomparedwiththoseobtainedatthebeginningoftheproject.Thepriceofbeefpaidtotheproducerincreased9%inGuatemala,4%inHonduras,5%inNicaragua,and11%inCostaRica.Becauseofthesesignificantincreasesinannualmilkandmeatproduction,majorincreaseswerealsoobservedintheannualnetincomeoffarms,reaching32%inGuatemala,288%inHonduras,177%inNicaragua,and238%inCostaRica.Theseextraordinaryincreasesinnetincomecanbeattributedtothreefactors:(1)thehighermilkpricein2007ascomparedwiththatof2003;(2)higherproductionduetothebetterdiet;and(3)increasedproductionduetothehigherstockingrateallowedbecauseoftheadoptionofandincreaseinareasowntoimprovedforages.nbsp;nbsp;Theincreaseinthenetincomeoftheseproducershastriggeredanincreaseintheeconomicreturnstofamilylabor,ascomparedwiththecommercialvalueofaday#8217;swages.Therefore,thereturnstofamilylaborinGuatemalawentfrom3.1timesthevalueoftheminimumwagein2003to6.0timesthatvaluein2007,representinga97%increase.InHonduras,thereturnstofamilylaborwentfrom2.9timestheminimumwagein2003to9.8timesthatvaluein2007,representinga238%increase.Similarly,inNicaraguathesereturnsrepresenteda104%increaseandinCostaRicaa200%increase.