Optimization of cattle feed production in Western Mediterranean Region/Turkey

This study compared the cost of the feed raw materials of cattle produced from feed plants, identified the basic features of feed-producing enterprises, the supply patterns of feedstuffs, and determined the levels of use of production technologies. Therefore a survey was conducted to collect primary through a questionnaire concerning feed facilities in the Western Mediterranean region. In this region there are five producing feedstuffs enterprises and for each one; calf starter, calf enlargements, castles milk, and cattle fattening, have been analyzed. Accordingly, with LINDO program, a total of 17 linear programming models have been solved based on that three varieties of feed are not produced. The findings revealed that the costs ranged from 0, 75-0, 86 TL for calf; 0, 83-0, 90 TL for calf enlargement feed; 0, 81 -0, 87 TL for cattle milk feed and 0, 69-0, 81 TL for beef cattle feed. Despite the difference amongst the costs of four feedstocks, the optimization results are less than 1 TL. Otherwise seven (7) feedstocks cost 1-5 TL, three feedstocks' cost ranges between 5, 1-10 TL and three others cost greater than 10 TL. Lastly these costs showed that feed producing enterprises operate close to optimum conditions. KEYWORDS: Feedstuffs, Linear Programming, Supply Pattern