aistand south~ern afrkca - (PDF, 101 mb) - USAID

Objectives ofte research programme
Five main objectives were fixed (Itty, 1991):
" The application of an appropriate methodology
to evaluate the economics of livestock
production systems and disease control.
Various authors including Grindle (1985)
and McInerney (1988) have reported that
the application of economic theory and
appropriate methodologies fur veterinary
economics has suffered from serious shortcomings.
The approach proposed attempts to
move a step further from relatively narrowly
defined cost-benefit studies or a mechanistic
application of prices to physical quantities
(Grindle, 1985).
" Calculation of returns to scale factors of
production i.n the use of trypanotolerant
cattle and trypanocidal drugs for cattle meat
and milk production.
" Investigation on the effects of social and
private analyses on the 'xtent ofthe adoption
or improvement of cattle production systems
using trypanotolerant cattle or trypanocides.
" Determination of the factors that influence
social and private profitability of the production
systems on tht basis ofinter-herd and
inter-site variations,
* Comparison of tsete and trypanosomiasis
control methods, leading to a choice of
strategies.
Implementation of the research
programme
The study is centred around a cost-benefit
analysis enhanced by a dynamic herd simulation
model and rapid rural appraisal (RRtA). A
social-level economic analysis was conduct* d to
evaluate the benefits and costs of the herds to the
overall economy of the countries examined. A
private-level financial analysis was conducted to
examine the financial profits to cattle producers.
Since a trypanosomiasis control programme
involves several majur participants (tl. .-.. ate,
the livestock development authority, producers,
herdsmen, tr',ders, consumers etc) who share
the costs and bnefits, interest was focused on
the returns to the overall economy. On the
micro-level, success ofa control programme rests
primarily on the performance of cattle owners
who are the main beneficiaries, hence the
justification of the private-level analysis.
Costs and benefits were projected for a
10-year period using the ILCA Bio-Economic
Herd Model for Microcomputer. The ILCA model
is a deterministic dynamic model which
simulates herd evolution, production and
economic performance over a 10-year period
from base parameters on herd structure,
productivity and economic phenomena (von
Kaufmann et al, 1990). 3 Data collected monthly
over three to four years by the ATLN were used
to derive baseline biological data for each herd
(milk off-take was an exception as data were
recorded daily). An economic survey and an RRA
conducted once at each site provided the
economic data and qualitative information on
the cattle systems. The focus is on returns
derived from milk and meat, although it is
r2cognised that other functions, socio-economic
aspects and products of cattle are also very
important, but they could only be covered
qualitatively through the RRA. For the RRA
information was collected from three sources:
secondary data, group interviews with farmers
(using a semni-structured questionnaire) and
discussions with key informants. The
information was cross-checked and pooled in a
triangulation process (McCracken et al, 1988).
Implementation
The economic component was conducted by the
author after the literature review was completed
and after the methodology had been determined
and the questionnaire tested. Prior to 3ata
collection, information on the planned work was
sent to the ATLN field staff One month was
spent in each country for collection of economic
data and socio-economic information. Economic
data included the type and quantity of inputs
used, information on veterinary services and
market and shadow prices. For the latter,
information had to be collected from ministries
and resident economists (World Bank, ILCA,
Harvard Institute for International Development
etc), usually located in capitals, and from
the literature. For the interviews, int.rpreters
were made available by the ATLN field project.
Access to local authorities, extension agents,
vetna l authoreseeson as
veterinarians and cther resource persons was
greatly facilitated Iy ATLN staff.
Upon completion of the field work the herd
model was adapted and finalised and the initial
analysis was carried out at ILCA headquarters.
Close contacts and discussions with colleagues in
ILCA's Livestock Economics Division and at the
ATLN coordinating office were most useful as
methodological improvements were made and
biological ez-a re-analysed to correspond to the
needs of tb economic analysis. This resulted in
delays in the final analyses, which were carried
out in Switzerland. However, the quality of
results was considerably enhanced.
Evaluation of the research
programme
Collaboration and local inutitutions
The research programme benefited considerably
from being carried out under the auspices of
3 Correspondence concerning the model and its acquisition should be addressed to: The Head, Livestock Economics Division,
ILCA, P 0 Box 5689 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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