THE USE OF LINEAR PROGRAMMING TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF CREDIT FOR INVESTMENTS IN SMALL GOAT FARMS

Abstract

The PRONAF is a government program that subsidies the credit for investment to smallholder farming and improves the social development in Brazil. This research was carried out to evaluate the effect of increasing the value of credit for investment used for the PRONAF farmers in semiarid areas, and their impact on the income and labor in the smallholder farming production systems. Economic data of dairy and meat goat systems of PRONAF farmes in ";;;;;Rio Grande do Norte";;;;;, Brazil was used. The limits of the model were the credit for investment, maximum number of animals in the system and the labor time. The current value of credit for investment (US$2,850.00) was increased by 25%, 50% and 100% and its impact in the farm income analized when considering milk and meat production. The maximum number of animals in the system was estimated by multiplying the carrying capacity (1.5 heads/ha/year) plus the average pasture areas of PRONAF farms (35 ha). The maximum labor time available for work was 12 hours/day. This mathematical model was solved using linear programming with LINDO(R) Software. When the credit for investment was expanded in 25% and 50%, the income of the system increased to 22% and 41%, respectively. It happened because the value of the credit allowed also enhance the number of dairy goats in the system. However, this income was not enough to use and pay more than 5 hours/day in dairy goat system activities. By raising the credit for investment up to 100% it would increase the income of the system around 81%. It happened because the number of dairy goats went up to 83% and the dairy production was had better results than meat production. The system with more dairy goats enough incme to pay the farmer labor (7 hours/day) and during the other five g¿hours could develop another activity. Therefore, the results of the analysis indicated that an increase in the credit for investment in small goat farms in semi-ard areas in Brazil would biased towards the dairy goat production enhancing the income of families and employment opportunities