Economic values for a production system with Nelore beef cattle in the Central region of Brazil

Abstract Text: Economic values (EV) were calculated to access the economic importance of traits to be included in breeding goals of a cow-calf commercial production system with Nelore beef cattle in Brazil. Biological and economic data were allocated into Excel spreadsheets for the development of bio-economic models that reflects a representative production system. Calves were sold at weaning (180 days of age) and cows and heifers that failed to calve were sold for beef purposes. To evaluate the impact of changes in the goal traits (weaning weight-WW, weaning rate-WR and cow mature weight-CMW) on the overall profitability of the system, their initial values were increased by 1%. The economic values for WW, WR and CMW were US$ 0.85/kg, US$ 1.86/1%  and  US$ 1.00/kg respectively. The economic values of these traits justify their inclusion in breeding goals for the studied production system. 

Keywords:

Beef cattle 

Breeding goal

Cow-calf system