Agroforestry för svenska förhållanden 2024 - Flipbook - Page 60
that have niche markets, such as birch sap, florist
products or Christmas products, such as Christmas
trees, holly or mistletoe.
Economic evaluation of agroforestry
Economic studies based on Swedish conditions are
not yet available as many systems are still very young.
Some of the most important management elements
when working with trees and shrubs that have a major
impact on the economy are the following:
Agroforestry systems usually require a large investment in the establishment phase (plant material,
wild-life fencing, grazing and tree trunk protection,
irrigation systems) without generating any income in
the first years. However, the investment in the establishment phase can pay off in the long run, as trees
and shrubs often produce more valuable products
compared to annual crops, such as fruits, nuts,
berries or quality timber. Growing your own trees
from seed and grafting branches from larger trees
of productive varieties can be a way to keep establishment costs down, but requires extra labour and
knowledge.
•
The time it takes for woody perennials to start yielding
varies between species. For example, fruit trees may
•
Höbalarna tjänar som insektshabitat. Hö används också
som jordförbättring i systemet, Stora Juleboda gård. / The
hay bales serve as insect habitat. Hay is also used as a soil
improvement in the system, Stora Juleboda farm, Sweden.
•
•
Irrigation - especially important during establishment, before the trees are deeply rooted. An
automatic irrigation system is preferable if the
agroforestry system is large.
Wildlife protection - wildlife fencing around the
field/cultivation area, rodent protection and root
baskets to protect against vole infestation are some
examples.
Weed control - hand picking or mechanical removal of weeds in trees/shrubbery involves extra
labour. Weeds (and other undergrowth) mainly
affect trees during the establishment phase when
they compete for the same surface nutrients and
water.
Harvesting - if done by hand or if there is need to
purchase new equipment for harvesting and/or
storing and processing the products.
To compensate for the fact that the land you use for
the trees/shrubs will not yield a return in the first few
years, there are various measures:
•
Apply for financial support to establish an agro-
Figure 1. THE AGROFORESTRY GROSS MARGIN
SYSTEM. © Ian Knight.
take about five years to reach their maximum annual
yield potential, which they maintain for about 10
years, while walnuts in alley cropping systems may
take 20 years to reach their maximum yield, which
they can maintain for several decades. At the bottom
of table 1B you find an example of how the trees’ productivity can be calculated over time. For timber, one
may have to wait up to 50 years to harvest the wood.
Sid 59-60
ENTERPRISE 1
ENTERPRISE 2
ENTERPRISE 3
Arable
Silvoarable
orchard
Forage ley
Sales
(output)
Sales
(output)
Sales
(output)
Less - variable
costs (input)
Less - variable
costs (input)
Less - variable
costs (input)
Gross margin
Gross margin
Gross margin
TOTAL GROSS MARGIN
Less – total fIixed
costs
NET PROFIT
