| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2422009 | Aquaculture | 2014 | 8 Pages |
•We model tilapia production according experimental data and farms information.•We analyze different ration sizes and prices to get optimal profits.•We recommended an optimal ration size in order to reduce the environmental impact.•The optimal ration size can help producers to alleviate a market problem.
This article aims to identify the best management strategy for integrating technical-economic efficiency and ecological impact when a rural producer of Nile tilapia faces problems with fixed price and harvest size. A bioeconomic model was developed based on an experimental study of juvenile tilapia growth with three rations, as recommended by the feed suppliers, and a satiation ration (producer's strategies). The model included standardized rations from 0 to 1, where 0 indicates starvation and 1 satiation. Three harvest sizes and two market conditions (fixed price and size-dependent price), projecting the Net Present Value (NPV) and Total Ammoniacal Nitrogen (TAN) production of the culture rotations over 10 years were simulated. For the size-dependent price, the greatest NPV was reached for a harvest size of 300 g (ration of 0.75) and for the fixed price the recommended size was 200 g (ration of 0.67). The optimum rations are below that recommended by feed providers (0.84). With the recommended optimum ration and harvest size, TAN production can be reduced to 1.88 t (54.33%) in the same time period.
