Modelling The Cattle Breeding Production in the Czech Republic

Abstract

This paper proves that the use of the Cobb-Douglas form of production function is suitable for modelling the technological efficiency of selected production factors used in cattle breeding. Furthermore, it is possible to use the estimated function to analyse economic efficiency, considering also the prices of the production factors. The results of the econometric estimation show that higher initial weight affects negatively the dynamics of weight gain. Analysing the efficiency of the two main feedstuff components, i.e. the haylage and hay, it was found out that the increases in weight react inelastically with respect to the volume of feedstuffs, which is in line with the physiological limits of the animal production. The results further reveal that the increases in weight react more sensitively to haylage compared to hay. Thus, it is possible to conclude, that haylage provides technologically more efficient way of cattle breeding in comparison to hay. This paper resulted from contribution to an institutional research project MSM 6046070906 “Economics of resources of Czech agriculture and their efficient use in the framework of multifunctional agri-food systems”.