Since 1985 a growing-finishing system (7-8 months dairy steers) integrated to a crop rotation considering oats, rapessed, wheat and two years of a mixture red elaver and Italian ryegrass, was evaluated in order to establish its productive and economic feasibility. At the growing period, during 12 months, the calves grazed pasture and were supplemented with hay or silage. In June, July and August, the animals were also allowed to graze winter oats. The finishing period, at a feedlot, took 3 months, on average, and the feeding system considered pasture silage ad libifum and controlled amounts of a concentrate based on oats grain, rapeseed meal and minarais. The economic evaluatÃan, over six years, considered direct costs, total income and gross margin of the system and was valuated in $ 01 July 1991, without IVA. The gross margin increased from $107,000/ha on the third yearto $191,000/ha on the last year which indicated a 78% increment in three years. Of the total income, steers sales representad, on average, 64%, and wheat, rapeseed and oats 17, 12 and 4%, respectively. Profit of the system, evaluated through internal Return Rate and Actual Net Value showed that TIR varied from 37.8 to 58.7% according to a sensibility analysis performed with different sale prices of the steers. |