Impact of Maize-Grain Yield and Price on Net Margin at Mechanized Growing Technology in Zambia

Havrland B., Růžička M., Srnec K.

Abstract
The farm machinery is a system that is used by higher or lower efficiency and impacted by production costs, especially farm machinery prices and other technologic inputs. On the opposite side there are outputs which can generally be designed as proceeds. The proceeds especially are the yield and price of the product. Both of them can be considered as technologic outputs. However, there is still problem of proper (and sufficiently general) criterion for the assessment of the technology. Such a criterion has been chosen as the net margin gained as a result of the difference of total costs and total incomes per unit of the production area or unit of the production. In view of the above criterion the yield and product price can also be considered as independent variables with the strongest impact on the net margin. Methodology of net margin calculation is complicated and sometimes not fully transparent. A new (proper) methodological approach has been conceived in the concept of ATMP (Agricultural Technology Management Program) that has proved its appropriateness for extension services in both developed as well as less developed countries. The Program is meant to provide not only the art of work to the extension worker in formulating sound and exact technological advice but also a modeling tool to analyze field technologic processes and find their result. The correct technological information (particularly on machinery sets and agronomic requirements) must be available so that correct and rapid economic (costs) and finally crop budget calculations could be done. The program also demonstrates an attempt to put into practice the concept of “precision technology” based on precision machinery inputs, which reduces machinery input costs. Preceding field survey carried out in Zambia (August – Sept. 2003) supplied basic data for technology design and economic calculations. Purely mechanized technology was selected for the modeling purposes. The technology was designed for Zambian conditions. In the first block, critical maize-grain yield was found, in the second the critical maizegrain price was tested while in the third one, combination of both of them was used. From more possible combinations the critical one has been found on the level of 7 ton per hectare and 115 USD per ton.

Key words:
ATMP – precision technology – crop budget - comparison table – dependent and independent variables – proceeds – net margin

back >>


Full version of the article in the PDF file format - read here: