PHOSPHORUS AND BEEF-PRODUCTION IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA .11. A CASE-STUDY APPROACH TO THE ECONOMIC-ASSESSMENT OF PHOSPHORUS SUPPLEMENTATION

This paper examines the use of herd budgeting software to analyse the economic value of P supplementation along with other practices that will improve herd productivity. Three case studies were analysed. One looked at a hypothetical situation where P supplementation was one of several improvement practices. The second examined a range of P deficient situations. The third was based on the early experience from a trial involving supplementation of 550 breeders. A whole herd approach was used to analyse the economics of better breeder management. P supplementation with and without other husbandry improvements was found to be profitable at 1990 prices and costs.