المــراجـع
المراجع العربية
(1) احمد طه أحمد الخطيب (دكتور)، محمد أمين محمد سلامة (دكتور)، محمود محمد عبد الفتاح (دكتور)، الكفاءة التكنولوجية والتمويلية لمشروعات تسمين أبقار اللحم، المجلة المصرية للاقتصاد الزراعى، المجلد العاشر العدد الثانى سبتمبر2000 0
(2) حسن محمود بيومي (دكتور) دراسة اقتصادية وفنية لاثر استخدام سيلاج البرسيم في عليقة بعض حيوانات اللبن "دراسة ميدانية" المجلة المصرية للعلوم التطبيقية جامعة الزقازيق،المجلد 17العدد7يوليو،2002 .
(3) سهير محمود زيدان، "دراسات على إنتاج اللحم في ذكور الجاموس"، رسالة دكتوراه، قسم الإنتاج الحيواني كلية الزراعة جامعة القاهرة 1998.
(4) عصمت عبد المهيمن شلبي (دكتور) ،عمر احمد بدر(دكتور) ، تحليل اقتصادي لتكاليف انتاج الحوم الحمراء في محافظة الغربية ، المؤتمر الدولي الثامن والعشرون للإحصاء وعلوم الحاسب وتطبيقاته ندوة إستراتيجية الزراعة المصرية لزيادة الإنتاج وحماية البيئة في القرن الحادي والعشرون الجزء الثاني 12/4/2003.
(5) فتحي عبد المنعم جادو ،اقتصاديات انتاج اللحوم الحمراء في محافظة المنوفية ، رسالة ماجستير ، قسم الاقتصاد الزراعي ، كلية الزراعة شبين الكوم ،جامعة المنوفية 1982.
(6) مركز البحوث الزراعية، معهد بحوث الإنتاج الحيواني، تغذية الحيوانات علميا وعمليا، الطبعة الأولى 1997 .
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(8) مصطفي صلاح الدين على محمود ندا، " تأثير بعض النظم الغذائية على انتاج اللحم من عجول الجاموس"، رسالة ماجستير،، قسم الإنتاج الحيواني كلية الزراعة جامعة القاهرة 2003.
ثانيا : المراجع الأجنبية
(1) David T. Johnson, the Business of Farming, Aguide to Farm Business Management in the Tropics, Macmillan publishers ltd., London and Basinstoke, second Edition 1990.
(2) Leonard C. Keral, Nutrient Requirements of Ruminants in Developing Countries, International Feedstuf Institute Utah Agricultural Experiment Station Utah State University, Logan Utah December 1982.
((3) Johnston J. "Econometric Methods" , Mc Grew -Hill New York (1984













Some Technological and Economical Consideration For animal production in
Traditional farms
Dr. Mahmoud M. Abd el fattah


Summary & Recommendations

Animal production is one of the important sectors in Egypt's economy. Animal wealth development is a necessity in the Egyptian context to cover the shortage in animal products, especially red meat of which 200 thousand tons have been imported annually during the period 1990 - 2000. This is considered a burden on the balances of trade and payments. Despite the availability of all the economic resources and conditions required for animal production in traditional farms, raisers are not very much interested in animal production due to the low return they receive on the operation cost. The aim of this research is to investigate the reasons behind such decline in return that resulted in raisers selling calves as soon as possible to traders as the best available alternative for avoiding the high feeding cost. Moreover, it was noticed that most of the red meat production farms are not managed in a sound economic way, which resulted in less efficiency. This requires investigating the best method for boosting the production efficiency of economic resources in those large-scale traditional farms producing red meat.

The objectives of this study included: technological assessment of animal production, estimating the cost of production, and measuring and estimating some technical and economic relations prevailing in traditional farms in order to provide policy and decision makers with sufficient tools for making sound policies and decisions for developing red meat production in Egypt. The research implemented some statistical methods for measuring some important economic variables related to the investigated subject. Moreover, some indicators and measures of economic efficiency were used. The research was based on published and unpublished data in addition to primary data collected by using in-field questionnaires that were distributed on 73 animal raisers in two randomly chosen villages in Tanta district at El-Gharbiya Governorate. The collected sample was then divided into three categories according to the number of raising units, the first of which included 24 farmers, the second category included 27 farmers, and the third category included 22 farmers. The relative importance of the categories reached 23.87%, 36.99%, and 30.14% respectively.

Results of the study revealed that traditional farms mainly cultivate wheat and clover during the winter season, and maize and rice during the summer. It was found than a proportionate relation prevailed between the average area cultivated and the size of animal holdings. Moreover, the study revealed that a proportionate relationship existed between the number of various animals raised (cows, buffaloes, young buffaloes), and the size of animal holding.

The study also revealed that animal feed in traditional farms ranged between the green, coarse, and concentrated types, and that feed quantities widely varied. Therefore, dry feed components and combinations were used as indicators for technical assessment. It was found that the average increase in weight reached 339.58, 636.3, 1330.91 kg in the three categories respectively, which reflects the dominance of the third category in this measure.

The coefficient of animal unit share in dry matter per day (kg of dry matter/head/day) reached 2.85, 2.59, 2.74 respectively. Statistical differences in the studied sample were insignificant. The efficiency of feed conversion indicator (kg of dry matter/kg of growth) indicated a proportionate relationship between the efficiency of feed conversion and the number of raised heads. The feeding cost in traditional farms represented 80.6%. 83.5%, and 85.7% of the total variable cost in the three categories respectively. Such variable costs represented 49.7%, 49.6%, and 49.4% of the gross total costs in the three categories respectively.

Study results also revealed that the indicator of gross average returns, marginal surplus, and net return increased as the size of animal holding increase. As regards the average variable cost per kilogram, declined to reach LE 4.69 in the third category compared to LE 4.87 in the first category. Moreover, total cost per kg declined to reach LE 6 in the third category compared to LE 6.75 in the first category. The coefficient of total revenue/total cost showed an increase that reached 1.14 in the third category compared to 1.08 in the first category. Furthermore, the study revealed that one pound invested in animal feed item of the variable cost realized the highest net revenue that reached LE 0.19 in the third category, reflecting an increase in the economic efficiency of the use of available resources in the third category farms.

In the light of study results, the following is recommended:

- The role of agricultural extension in animal production in traditional farms should be activated in order to convince farmers to increase the number of raised heads.
- Farmers in traditional farms should realize the importance of increasing the size of their holdings since the efficiency of feed conversion is proportionally related to the number of raised heads.
- Some modern technological methods should be implemented in animal raising methods in traditional farms in order to increase the production and economic efficiency of available resources, thus the economic return and profitability, especially that large numbers of the red meat animals are raised in traditional farms.
- Animal feed represents 85% of the total variable costs. It is a limiting factor in animal raising activity. Therefore, providing simple loans to the owners of traditional farms is considered a necessity for developing the animal wealth they own.