Global Advanced Research Journal of Agricultural Science (GARJAS) ISSN: 2315-5094
August 2015 Vol. 4(8): pp. 396-403
Copyright © 2015 Global Advanced Research Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Economics of medium-scale on-station broiler production

Ebenezer Kondo¹*, Daniel Kwasi Asare¹, Kwamina Ewur Banson¹, Godwin Amenorpe¹, and Kenneth Ellis Danso¹

¹Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI), Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), Legon-Accra, Ghana.

*Corresponding Author Email: kondoebenezer@gmail.com

Accepted 03 August, 2015

Abstract

This study was conducted at the broiler farm of the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute. Data on total fixed and variable costs for eight different phases of units produced were obtained and parameters of profitability associated with production economics were analysed using the production function. The results indicated that total broiler yield for all the production phases amounted to seven thousand, nine hundred and five (7,905) out the total number of eight thousand, three hundred and seventy-nine (8,379) day old chicks bought, indicating a cumulative mortality of 5.99%. Broiler yield was 95.0%, 95.4%, 96.7%, 70.6%, 95.2%, 99.2%, 97.2% and 95.4% for each of the eight different production phases. Analyses of the Average Physical Product  and Average Value Product  indicated that production was done efficiently and that variable input used were readily converted into output for all the phases of production. Results indicated that feed outlay constituted the greatest limiting factor in broiler production at the BNARI farm. However, profitability was good for all the different production phases as Total Value Product  was higher than Total Cost  except at the sixth phase of production.

Keywords: ad libitum, day-old chicks, broiler yield, profitability, production function.