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Title: ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS FOR FRESH-MARKET TOMATOES IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION

Author
item Wu, Shunxiang
item Lu, Yao
item MILLS, DOUGLAS - FORMER USDA/ARS
item Coffman, Charles
item Teasdale, John

Submitted to: BARC Poster Day
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/25/2001
Publication Date: 4/25/2001
Citation: WU, S.N., LU, Y.C., MILLS, D.J., COFFMAN, C.B., TEASDALE, J.R. ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS FOR FRESH-MARKET TOMATOES IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. BARC POSTER DAY. 2001.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Growing competition in tomato production and marketing, in conjunction with environmental concerns, requires new innovated systems for fresh- market tomato production that are both profitable and environmentally sound. This study evaluated the performance of fresh-market tomato production in systems representing different levels of off-farm inputs from 1997 to 1999 at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland. These experimental systems included different cultivars (Sunbeam, Mountain Pride), soil mulch practices (bare soil, black polyethylene, compost, hairy vetch cover crop), and fungicide application schedules (no fungicide, weekly application, and application determined by TOMCAST-model predictions). Net returns were computed based on average experimental yields, production costs from the enterprises budget for staked and tied tomato crops, and weekly prices at the Baltimore fruit and vegetable wholesale market. The Ray's safety-first criterion was used to compare the preferred tomato systems for a risk-averse tomato grower. Results demonstrated that there were no consistent differences between production systems. Net returns from the hairy vetch system were higher than those from the other mulch systems in 1997 but net returns from the black polyethylene system were highest in 1998 and 1999. The black polyethylene system had the least overall economic risk and the hairy vetch system had the highest risk. Net returns among fungicide treatments were highest from the TOMCAST-based systems in 1997 and 1999 but net returns were highest in the weekly scheduled system in 1998. Economic risk was similar in the weekly and TOMCAST systems.