Financial Analysis of Traditional Rangeland-based Livestock Husbandry in Pastoral Units of Sahand Mountain Rangelands

Traditional livestock  husbandry is based on the use of rangeland. According to the existing reports on the imbalance of incomes and expenses of rangeland-based livestock husbandry in the country; Financial evaluation of traditional rangeland-based livestock husbandry is essential. The aim of this study was to evaluate and economically analyze traditional rangeland-based livestock husbandry in pastoral units of Sahand rangelands. 45 pastoral units were selected through stratified random sampling method. Finally, the economic evaluation questionnaire was randomly completed for 205 utilizers. Expenses and incomes and Net present value and Cost-benefit ratios of traditional animal husbandry in pastoral units of Sahand rangelands were extracted using questionnaire information. The results showed that the utilizers of pastoral units of Sahand rangelands have an average of 85.19 hectares of rangelands and the average number of livestock for each utilizer in these rangelands is 277. Annually, each utilizer in traditional livestock spends 1994.14 million rials, most of which is related to the supply of feed and manual feeding of livestock. The total income of each operator during the year was an average of 2697.38 million rials, the major part of which is related to the sale of livestock. Economic benefit per utilizer in summer rangelands is 1704.38 million Rials. In the winter sector, the economic loss was estimated at 539.10 million Rials per utilizer. The economic rent of exploiting the pastoral units of Sahand rangelands for animal husbandry was estimated at 8.26 million Rials per hectare and the expected value of these rangelands was 1.53 million Rials per hectare. According to the results of economic justification; In the scenario with a discount rate of 14%, there is 2.712 million Rials and in the scenario with a discount rate of 18%, there is an economic loss of 2.928 million Rials per utilizer. The Cost-benefit ratio in the scenario with a discount rate of 14% was 0.79 and in the scenario with a discount rate of 18% was estimated 0.76, which indicates the economic loss of rangeland-based livestock husbandry units in the pastoral units of Sahand rangelands. In order to achieve the desired economic profitability and reduce livestock pressure on rangelands, the priority of the bureau of Rangeland Affairs should be the preparation of economic rangeland management plans. To achieve this, it is necessary to reduce the costs of livestock breeding by using new technologies and to make rangeland management as an economical activity by using multi-purpose use of rangelands. Cheaper rangeland management, empowerment of rangeland owners and increasing their welfare are the three basic preconditions for economic rangeland management and prevention of rangeland destruction.