Can commercial catfish producers always feed efficiently?
Authors:
Siddhartha Dasgupta a;
Diony Monestime b;
Carole Engle c
| Affiliations: | a Aquaculture Research Center, Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Kentucky, USA |
| b Aquaculture/Fisheries Center, University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA | |
| c Aquaculture/Fisheries Center, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA |
DOI:
10.1080/13657300209380303
Publication Frequency:
4 issues per year
Subjects:
Agricultural Economics;
Aquaculture;
Fisheries & Related Industries;
Fisheries Science;
Marine & Aquatic Science;
Formats available:
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(English)
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Abstract
Economically efficient feeding levels in intensively stocked ponds might be below minimum biological feeding requirements under adverse market conditions. A catfish production function that estimated relationships between yield and stocking and feeding rates was used as the basis for estimating production relationships. Feed price boundaries were developed that allowed the feeding rate to exceed the minimum biological level but still reflected economically efficient rates over a range of catfish prices and producer risk preferences. At higher stocking densities (20,000/ha), the feed price upper bound is lower than at lower stocking densities. Producers stocking at higher rates will be less likely to maximize profit and meet minimum biological feeding requirements as feed price increases than those producers stocking at lower rates. However, if feed prices exceed the upper bounds calculated in this paper, producers should engage in feeding only at levels necessary to meet farm financial and cash flow obligations until such time as the feed price decreases.
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| Keywords: Catfish; production economics; feeding economics |
| view references (11) : view citations |

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