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<br />~ <br />o <br />00 <br /> <br />- 33 - <br /> <br />I t should be bome in mind that these budgets have been constructed with the <br /> <br />moderate levels of productivity and efficiency, whereas some other budgets which may <br /> <br />have been rather favorable were based upon either high ~roductivity or high efficien- <br /> <br />cy, or both. <br /> <br />New Farm Units, Summary and Conclusions.--Based upon comparison of budgets prepared, <br /> <br />it seems safe to conclude that a beef-cow operation on irrigated pasture would not <br /> <br />be a feasible type of operation. j'lith average rnanap:ement, it could not provide a <br /> <br />sufficient return to operator's labor for a family livinp after allrn~ing for a pay- <br /> <br />ment on water and fully covering costs of depreciation and interest on investment. <br /> <br />This statement holds true even allowing for the possibility of higher levels of pro- <br /> <br />ductivity or efficiency in crop and livestock production than was initially thought <br /> <br />to be attainable by average managers. The addition of a calf-fattening operation <br /> <br />to a beef breeding-cow operation increases the possibilities of obtaining a satis- <br /> <br />factory return at high levels of efficiency and moderate or high levels of produc- <br /> <br />tivity. This alternative, however, requires almost a full section of cropland at <br /> <br />the moderate productivity level. <br />A beef-cow operation of 150 head of cows and heifers coming two years old to- <br /> <br />gether with replacement heifer calves and bulls, and utilizing a calf fattening- <br /> <br />operation, is rather marginal, even at high levels of productivity and efficiency. <br /> <br />Cash-crop operations, or combinations of cash cronping with cattle fattening, <br /> <br />or beef-breeding herds on outside ranre appear to be more feasible. Feeder cattle <br /> <br />are produced locally or in a relatively short distance from the project in numbers <br /> <br />sufficient for a substantial number of cattle-fattening enterprises on farms. The <br /> <br />possibilities for findin,g markets for cash crops of hay are not as certain. If <br /> <br />markets were available, cash cropping would be one of the more attractive alterna- <br /> <br />tives. <br />