Economics of finishing Tanzania Shorthorn Zebu cattle in feedlot and optimum finishing period

摘要

EconomicpotentialoffinishingTanzaniaShorthornZebu(TSZ)cattleinfeedlotwasanalysedusingdataobtainedfromtwofeedlotexperimentscarriedoutatKongwaranchinTanzania.Theexperimentswereperformedtoevaluatetheeffectsoffeedingagro-processingbyproductsandlengthoffeedlotfinishingforTSZcattle.Thebiologicaldatacollectedfromthetwoexperimentswereusedasbasisforderivingtheeconomicscenarios.Therangeofdayssteerswerekeptinfeedlotwassetat0,25,50,75and100days.Thedietarymetabolisableenergyintake(MEI)levelsusedinthestudywere55MJ/day(Low)and85MJ/day(High).Theamountofextrameat(34.4kg)producedfromhighMEIwasmorethantwicetheamountproducedfromlow(15.7kg)MEIforthefeedlotperiodof100days.Feedcostperkgofextrameat(6,100TSh.)washigherforlowMEIthanforhighMEI(3,923TSh.)for100daysinfeedlot.Non-feedcostsperkgextrameatwerehigherforshortstays(4,500TSh.)thanlongstays(2,630TSh.)Ifmeatpriceswereindependentonfinishingperiodlength,highMEIwasprofitablewithincrementof(81%)profitperkgextrameatforanincreasefrom50to75daysinfeedlot.Assuminga10%increaseinmeatpriceduetofeedlotfinishingregardlessoffinishinglength,profitperanimalcarcassincreasedwithincreasingdaysinfeedlotforhighMEIfrom71,800TSh.in25daysto143,000TSh.in100daysinfeedlot.Assumingmeatpriceincreasedby5%witheachincreaseinfeedlotfinishinglengthof25days,higherprofitperanimalcarcasswasrealizedwithlongstays(100days,238,000TSh.)thanshortstays(25days,37,600TSh.).Itwasconcludedthatthehighfeedinglevelisthemostprofitableirrespectiveofmeatpriceandfinishinglength.Theoptimumfinishinglengthisbetween50and75dayswhenpricedoesnotchangewithfeedlotfinishingand100dayswhenpricechangeswithfeedlotfinishinglength.