Relation between social, productive and economical variables of sixteen small dairy farms of the Valdivia Province, Chile

Abstract

This study explains the behaviour of productive variables as a function of social and economic variables of 16 small dairy farms from the Farming Management Programme of the Río Bueno Farm Management Center (Centro de Gestión Agrícola de Río Bueno, CEGA S.A.), for the periods 2000-2001 and 2001-2002. A Multiple Linear Regression analysis was conducted considering three dependent variables: production seasonality, milk production (L/cow/year), and own capital profitability (%). These three variables were obtained using an expert panel method. The explanatory variables included social, productive, economic and financial aspects. The results showed that during the first period, production seasonality was related to the variables own capital profitability and the size of the area destined to milk production, while in the second period it was related to the financial solvency of a farm. The milk production variable was related to milk price in both periods. The own capital profitability variable was related to the cost of milk (per liter) in both periods, and to the area used in milk production, in the second period only.