%0 Conference Paper
%A Schmutz, Ulrich
%A Firth, Chris
%A Rayns, Francis
%D 2005
%F orgprints:4473
%K Organic farming, organic horticulture, vegetables, stockless systems, farm economics, horticultural costings, rotational planning, risk-analysis, sensitivity analysis, model, conversion
%T Economic analysis of stockless, horticultural crop rotations on a model farm in temperate zone organic systems
%U https://orgprints.org/id/eprint/4473/
%X Research draws on an organic research farm site in central England with a temperate zone climate - fairly common for the northern lowlands of Europe. The soil type is a sandy loam with 591 mm rainfall. Detailed economic and agronomic data have been collected since conversion began in 1995. The economic analysis discusses rotational gross and net margins of more than 30 different rotations with different fertility building and vegetable crops (potatoes, cabbages, onions, carrots, leeks and parsnips). Sensitivity and risk analysis of key variable costs important for successful organic vegetable production are shown. Rotational gross margins varied from –570 €/ha to 6,341 €/ha. Highest output-risk was introduced by yield variations, not price variation. Highest cost-risk was introduced into the system by variations of casual labour for weeding and organic crop protection.