Understanding the decision‐making in small‐scale beef cattle herd management through a mathematical programming model

Abstract

We address the issue of managing beef herds from the perspective of small‐scale farmers and propose an optimization model applicable to the conditions of the Czech Republic. Our research focused on optimization under existing system conditions with established procedures. We present a linear programming model of beef herd development over a 10‐year period that considers the limited capacity of small‐scale farms. The key decision‐making variables represent the acquisition of heifers and the selection of heifers for fattening and breeding. For 102 selected scenarios, we demonstrate the impact of proper heifer acquisition and farmers’ profit sensitivity on the key parameters. For the key parameters, we identify thresholds that determine the sustainability of small‐scale Czech beef farms. The proposed model demonstrates the crucial impact of subsidies on the profitability of beef farms. A 24% decrease in subsidies is shown to be the threshold at which a farmer's optimal strategy is to leave the market.

Design of a Database and Modules for IoT-Based Data Exchange in Herd Management Systems

“…Robert et al, in their article in 2021, an optimization model is proposed, applicable to the conditions of the Czech Republic, from the point of view of small-scale farmers on the management of cattle herds. (Hlavatý et al, 2021). (Francisco et al, at 2019), an IoT-based system has been developed with low-cost GPS collars that will enable herd monitoring (Maroto-Molina et al, 2019).…”