@article{Neal:25620, recid = {25620}, author = {Neal, Mark and Fulkerson, William and Levy, Gil and Wastney, Meryl and Thorrold, Bruce S. and Palliser, Chris and Beukes, Pierre and Folkers, Chris}, title = {The Potential Cost to New Zealand Dairy Farmers from the Introduction of Nitrate-Based Stocking Rate Restrictions}, address = {2006}, number = {1004-2016-78638}, series = {Poster Paper}, pages = {16}, year = {2006}, abstract = {Introducing a stocking rate restriction is one possible course of action for regulators to improve water quality where it is affected by nitrate pollution. To determine the impact of a stocking rate restriction on a range of New Zealand dairy farms, a whole-farm model was optimised with and without a maximum stocking rate of 2.5 cows per hectare. Three farm systems, which differ by their level of feed-related capital, were examined for the changes to the optimal stocking rate and optimal level of animal milk production genetics when utility was maximised. The whole-farm model was optimised through the use of an evolutionary algorithm called differential evolution. The introduction of a stocking rate restriction would have a very large impact on the optimally organised high feed-related capital farm systems, reducing their certainty equivalent by almost half. However, there was no impact on the certainty equivalent of low feed-related capital systems.}, url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/25620}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.25620}, }