Technical and economic indices that determine the profitability of milk production systems participating in the “Full Bucket” program

Abstract

This study assesses the relationships among net margin (ML), profitability (LUC), and return (RENT), as well as several technical and economic indices that determine the ML, LUC and RENT land-use change, and economic return of milk production systems. We estimate and analyze the property-size, zootechnical, and economic indices of 20 milk production systems located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2011. We also conduct a descriptive analysis of the variables studied, as well as a multiple linear regression analysis among the estimated indices (independent variables) and the net margin, profitability, and return (dependent variables). The statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 20.0. The items that most influenced net margin were milk production by labor, total revenue, energy and protein commercial concentrates, and the ratio of labor costs to total operating costs. Then, profitability was most influenced by animal productivity per day, fixed value by lactation matrix (value immobilized in the activity divided by the number of lactating matrices), milk revenue, and the representativeness of energy concentrates. Economic returns were most influenced by the number of males available for sale, as well as by animal productivity per day and the value of assets on land per hectare. These findings show that management and technological efforts are required to reduce production costs. In addition, animal productivity needs to be increased because it is has the highest positive relationship with profitability.