Intensive grazing management in arid and semiarid regions: an economic assessment

Intensive grazing management (IGM) represents a new approach for managing the range and animal resources of the ranch firm in order to maximize profitability and maintain and improve the range environment. Rotation periods and stock density levels are managed to obtain increased long-run productivity from a given land base. This paper reviews the scientific literature and institutional relationships relevant to intensive grazing in Arizona. A conceptual economic model is discussed in analyzing the IGM adoption decision. An empirical analysis of the IGM investment decision reveals the importance of animal productivity and grazing cell costs in determining profitability. Intensive grazing can increase the economic returns to ranchers in semiarid and arid lands without damaging the resource base, but only under informed and progressive management. -from Author