spatial optimization

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Galama P., Van Walsum P.E.V., Hack-ten Broeke M.J.D., Cormont A. and Roelsma J.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
A regional feed centre buys crops from grassland farmers and arable farmers. These crops can provide roughage or concentrates for dairy cows. It processes these fodders into balanced total mixed rations (TMR) and delivers them to dairy farmers. A feed centre makes it possible to optimize fodder production at the regional level rather than at the farm level. It also stimulates arable farmers to grow fodder, like they produce concentrates, for the dairy sector. Calculations of another exploratory study (Walsum et al., 2014) showed that optimization of fodder production at regional level reduces nutrient losses to surface water by 10-20%. The advantage of a regional feed centre for dairy farmers is that they can outsource the storage of fodder and feeding of the cows. On the other hand, the feed centres provide an additional service that costs money and give more traffic. The cost of a feed centre depends on its size and its distance to fodder farmers and dairy farmers. A large feed centre creates less overhead costs, but more traffic. Therefore a model calculation (Waterwijs) has been made for the region ‘The Peel’ in the Province Brabant. In this study arable farmers grow 60% of the concentrates requirement of the dairy cows. This model optimizes the number and locations of the feed centres by minimizing the total overhead costs of the feed centres and the total transport cost of fodder (roughage and concentrates) to the feed centre and of TMR to the dairy farmers. When 10% of the total number of 150,000 dairy farmers participate in ‘The Peel’ the optimum is two feed centres. In this optimal situation the total cost of the service of a feed centre and transport is € 2 per 100 kg milk.

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Hack-ten Broeke M.J.D., Cormont A., Roelsma J., Galama P. and Van Walsum P.E.V.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
In an exploratory study on the impact of land use options on environment and farm income we considered closing nutrient cycles, clustering of agricultural activities and, as a combination of these two, the cooperation between dairy and arable farms. In the search for alternative feeds that can reduce the use of soybean from Brazil for feeding cattle, we investigated to what extent the growing of feed concentrate replacers by arable farmers within the region could be of interest economically. For this study our pilot area was part of the provinces of Brabant and Limburg (larger Peel region). We quantified the effect of growing up to 20, 40, 50, 60, 80 or 100% of the feed concentrate replacers within the region by replacing the least profitable arable crops by these crops (e.g. lupins, peas and beans). We found that the farm income would not be affected by replacement of up to 60% of the foreign feed concentrates by regionally grown feed concentrate replacers. However, replacement of more than 60% would reduce income. Cultivation of the new crops hardly affected nitrogen and phosphorus leaching to groundwater. But spatial optimization of land use conversion resulted in 10 to 20% reduction of nitrogen and phosphorus leaching. This means that cooperation between arable farmers growing feed concentrate replacers and dairy farmers using these products for feeding their livestock could be both economically and environmentally viable.