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A discussion support model for a regional dairy–pasture system with an example from Réunion island

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2011

U. B. NIDUMOLU ,
M. LUBBERS ,
V. ALARY ,
P. LECOMTE  and
H. VAN KEULEN
U. B. NIDUMOLU*
Affiliation:
Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Département ES (Département Elevage et Médecine Vétérinaire), Pôle Elevage, Station de Ligne Paradis, 7 chemin de l'Irat, F 97410, St Pierre, île de la Réunion, France
M. LUBBERS
Affiliation:
Group Plant Production Systems/Plant Research International, Wageningen University and Research centre, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
V. ALARY
Affiliation:
Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Département ES, Campus International de Baillarguet – 34398 Montpellier, Cedex 5, France
P. LECOMTE
Affiliation:
Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Département ES, Campus International de Baillarguet – 34398 Montpellier, Cedex 5, France
H. VAN KEULEN
Affiliation:
Group Plant Production Systems/Plant Research International, Wageningen University and Research centre, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
*
*To whom all correspondence should be addressed. Current affiliation: CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Adelaide, Australia. Email: [email protected]
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Summary

Réunion 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 impact.

Type
Animals
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 149 , Issue 5 , October 2011 , pp. 663 - 674
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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References

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