AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF CULTURE MECHANIZATION: THE CASE OF THE SPANISH MANGO

In south-eastern Spain, mangos are grown in two different types of orchards.
One is on slopes with medium-to-steep slopes and trees planted in narrow patches, with very difficult or impossible mechanization; the other, more frequent, is shallower slopes or flatlands with orchards on wider terraces, where mechanization is possible.
This paper analyses the economic impact of mechanization in terms of mango costs and returns.
Mango mechanizations in the area concerns mainly phytosanitary treatments and harvest, where non-tillage with localized herbicides is already a generalized practice among mango growers.
Using data gathered from two types of mango farms, with and without mech-anization, a comparative cost analysis has been made.
Return analyses have also been performed for the two types of orchards, aiming to determine to what extent, and under what conditions, returns from both treatments and harvest mechanization cover the added mechanization cost.
The effects of scale on mechanization returns have also been analysed.
From the results of these analyses, some conclusions have finally been drawn.

IX International Mango Symposium

S. Sayadi, J. Calatrava, E. Guirado, D. Sarmiento

mechanization, cost analysis, economic profitability, Spanish mango

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2013.992.28