The development of a mathematical model to investigate Irish beef production systems
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Recent reform of European agricultural policy has resulted in substantial changes to the criteria by which premia payments are made.
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Beef farmers,
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who have been particularly dependent on premia payments to maintain margins,
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must re-evaluate their systems to identify optimal systems in these new circumstances.
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A mathematical model,
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the Grange Beef Model,
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is presented and used to identify optimal beef production systems in Ireland.
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The objective function maximises farm gross margin and the model is primarily constrained by animal nutritional requirements.
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Model applications are illustrated through the analysis of a series of scenarios concerning variation in beef and concentrate prices;
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technical development through the integration of an alternative forage and the impacts of participation in an agri-environmental scheme.