Determining the Optimal Limit of Animal Husbandry Activity in the Rangelands of Alamut Region Using Dynamic Non-Linear Programming Bio-Economic Model

During recent years in order to obtain greater economic benefits increasing numbers of livestock and livestock breeders at the country pastures the destruction of these natural resources to have followed. The rangelands of Alamut (in North East of Qazvin Province) are not exception from this case and during recent years a lot has been destroyed because of the development of animal husbandry activity. Therefore, the main objective of the present study is to determine the optimal limit of animal husbandry activity in the rangelands of Alamut region using a dynamic non-linear programming bio-economic model. The used time series data are related to the years 2006- 2014 that from relevant agencies in Qazvin province (Department of Natural Resources and Agricultural Organization) were collected. The provided programming model was solved in GAMS 24/1. The results showed that keeping and breeding small livestock (sheep and goats) and heavy livestock (cow and calf) in the rangelands of Alamut region non-optimal, with an upward trend and without regard to destruction of these resources has been done during the years under consideration. The obtained results show excess keeping of small livestock (sheep and goats) and heavy livestock (cow and calf) to average number 2067 and 472 head for rangelands of Alamut Eastern and to average number 2268 and 610 head for rangelands of Alamut Western compared to the optimal limit.