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Simulating economic values of a genetic improvement program for Australian farmed saltwater crocodiles*
Author(s) -
Gray Emily M.,
AhmadiEsfahani Fredoun Z.,
Isberg Sally R.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
australian journal of agricultural and resource economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.683
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1467-8489
pISSN - 1364-985X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8489.2007.00362.x
Subject(s) - profitability index , crocodile , hatchling , selection (genetic algorithm) , juvenile , biology , profit (economics) , genetic gain , fishery , ecology , genetic variation , business , economics , computer science , finance , biochemistry , artificial intelligence , hatching , gene , microeconomics
In genetic improvement programs, candidates for breeders are ranked by the profitability of their offspring, expressed as a weighted sum of the genetic gain from selection. In this paper, we estimate the economic values of a genetic improvement program for Australian farmed saltwater crocodiles. A bioeconomic profit function for a representative breeding pair is used to determine the optimal slaughter age following genetic improvement in each selection objective. The results indicate that estimated farm profitability increases by nearly $A111 for a 1‐week reduction in juvenile slaughter age, $A78 for a 1 per cent increase in the proportion of first‐grade skins produced, and $A33 for an increase in the number of viable hatchlings per clutch. The implications of the analysis for the Australian crocodile industry and the limitations of the research are explored.