Economic potential for increasing vegetable production in the Zapotitan District, El Salvador

TWO LINEAR PROGRAMMING MODELS EMPHASIZING VEGETABLE PRODUCTION WERE USED TO COMPUTE THE ANNUAL NET RETURN TO MANAGEMENT AND RESIDENT LABOR OF THE ZAPOTITAN DISTRICT. ONE MODEL USED VEGETABLE IMPORTS IMPLICITLY AND THEN SPECIFIED AN OPTIMUM ENTERPRISE COMBINATION FOR THE DISTRICT. A SECOND MODEL EXPLICITLY INCLUDED VEGETABLE IMPORTS TO DETERMINE THE ABILITY OF THE DISTRICT TO COMPETE WITH GUATEMALAN IMPORTS. DEMAND SPECIFICATION IN BOTH MODELS FOR CROPS GROWN IN THE DISTRICT INCLUDED UPPER LIMITS FOR VEGETABLES EQUAL TO CURRENT PRODUCTION PLUS IMPORTS; UPPER LIMITS FOR FRESH CORN, TOBACCO, AND CITRUS EQUAL TO PRESENT PRODUCTION; AND NO LIMITS FOR MILK AND GRAINS. ALL OF THE SOLUTIONS INCLUDED LARGE INCREASES IN THE LAND USED FOR PASTURES FOR DAIRY PRODUCTION, ALONG WITH A MORE EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF VEGETABLE PRODUCTION OVER THE YEAR. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT (1) INCREASES IN VEGETABLE PRODUCTION, PARTICULARLY DURING NON-TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION PERIODS, WOULD AUGMENT EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME, BUT THAT LIMITED DOMESTIC DEMAND PREVENTS VEGETABLE PRODUCTION FROM HAVING A MAJOR IMPACT ON EMPLOYMENT, INCOME, AND THE AGRICULTURAL TRADE SURPLUS; (2) SUGARCANE PRODUCTION IN THE DISTRICT ADVERSELY AFFECTS EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME; AND (3) INCREASING PASTURELAND FOR DAIRY PRODUCTION BY ABOUT 2,000 MANZANAS WOULD HAVE THE GREATEST POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE BALANCE OF TRADE BY ELIMINATING IMPORTS OF DAIRY PRODUCTS.