Simulating economic values of a genetic improvement program for Australian farmed saltwater crocodiles
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In genetic improvement programs, candidates for breeders are ranked by the profitability
of their offspring, expressed as a weighted sum of the genetic gain from selection. In this
paper, we estimate the economic values of a genetic improvement program for Australian
farmed saltwater crocodiles. A bioeconomic profit function for a representative breeding
pair is used to determine the optimal slaughter age following genetic improvement
in each selection objective. The results indicate that estimated farm profitability
increases by nearly
#
A111 for a 1-week reduction in juvenile slaughter age,
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A78 for a
1 per cent increase in the proportion of first-grade skins produced, and
#
A33 for an
increase in the number of viable hatchlings per clutch. The implications of the analysis
for the Australian crocodile industry and the limitations of the research are explored.