A comparative economic analysis of goat production systems in Jordan with an emphasis on water use

摘要

GoatproductionisanintegralpartoffarmingsystemsinJordanandcanplayanimportantroleinpovertyalleviationandimprovedfoodsecurityinruralhouseholds.Waterprovisionisacrucialinputforanimalproductivity.ThisstudyaimstoassesstheeconomicperformanceofgoatproductionindifferentproductionsystemsinsouthernJordan,withanemphasisonwateruse.Datawerecollectedfromatotalof120purposelyselectedgoatkeepersfromJunetoOctober2012usingasurveybasedonstructuredquestionnaires.Indicatorsfortheeconomicperformanceofgoatproductionweregrossmargin(GM),benefit-costratio(BCR)andnetbenefit(NB).Resultsshowedthatgoatsweremainlykepttogeneratecashincomefromsalesofsurplusmilkandliveanimals.Inbothsystems(n=114farmers),feedsharedthehighestcosts(75%)ofthetotalvariablecosts,followedbytransportationofwaterandfeed(12%),labor(9%),veterinaryservices(4%)andwater(0.2%).Totalvariablecostsperflockweresignificantly(P0.05)higherinthetranshumantthaninthesedentarysystem.Thesignificantlylongerdistanceassociatedwithhighfuelandlaborcoststofetchwaterfromwatersourcesitesinthetranshumantsystemresultedinasignificant(P0.05)highercostoftransportationperflockcomparedtothesedentarysystem.Theeconomicperformanceparametersweresimilarbetweenproductionsystems.A28%offarmersinthetranshumantsystemand11%offarmersinthesedentarysystemhadanegativeNB.Productionsystem,flocksize,fertilityrate,feedingintensityandproductivityrateshowedasignificant(P0.05)impactonGM1,whileonlyflocksizeandfertilityratehadasignificant(P0.05)impactonGM2andNB.Furtherinvestigationsofeffectsofwateruseontheprofitabilityandthusonthesustainabilityofgoatfarmingundermoreextensiveproductionsystemsarerecommended.Moreover,improvementofgoatreproductivemanagementandflockhealtharerequiredtoimproveeconomicefficiencyofgoatproduction.