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Abstract
The rates of returns (RORs) to investments in cattle production research programs were
estimated using the Akino-Hayami index-number approach. The RORs to investments in the
dairy and beef cattle improvement schemes from 1970 to 1996 were estimated to be 51% and
44% respectively. A simple Benefit-Cost model was used to test the robustness of these
results. The estimates derived from this method corroborate the previous result for the dairy
scheme while the return to the beef scheme reduced to 29%. The estimated returns from these
schemes are higher than the returns from aggregate livestock research, which provides some
information for decisions on research funding allocations. Given the nature of this research,
future cost recovery measures should be pursued with an increasing share of private sector
investment.