02355nam a2200301 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000210006024500960008126000430017730000250022050000190024552015360026465000220180065000160182265000110183865000170184965000200186665000200188665000110190665000140191765000110193165000260194265300170196865300110198565300250199665300320202115564771996-10-18       1990    bl uuuu  m   00u1 u    #d1 aNICHOLSON, C. F.  aAn optimization model of dual purpose cattle production in the humid lowlands of Venezuela.  a[Ithaca, NY]: Cornell Universityc1990  a340p.c1 v. em 2 pt.  aTese Mestrado.  aClimatic, nutritional, and economic constraints in the tropical ecozones of Latin America severely restrict the efficiency of specialized, intensive production of milk and beef. Dual purpose (milk and beef) cattle production systems thus have become important components of the livestock sectors of many Latin American countries. Despite their significant contribution to regional supplies of milk and beef, few studies have examined resource allocation strategies for dual purpose farms. The primary objective of this study is to examine nutritional management decisions on dual purpose farms. A multi-period linear programming (LP) model of a representative dual purpose farm in western Venezuela is developed based on the survey data of holmann (1989) and othersecondary sources. The model was used to examine constraints on dual purpose production, to evaluate alternative strategies of nutritional management, to assess the impacts of limited resources, and to analyze optimal responses to price changes resulting from government policy. The LP model selects the combination of animal inventory, forage production, feed purchases, and animal sales activities to maximize discounted net margin (total revenues less variable costs). The combination of activities is selected subject to constraints on farm resources, herd composition, and the nutritional requirements of each class of animals. The LP model represents a three-year cow replacement cycle in six periods to account for seasonal variation in forage quality and ....  aanimal production  abeef cattle  acattle  adairy cattle  ameat production  amilk production  amodels  aVenezuela  aBovino  aSistema de Produção  aDual purpose  aModelo  aOptimization methods  aPecuaria de duplo proposito