Economic assessment of sicilian loquat orchards

The majority of Italian production of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) derives from the Palermo province, along the northern Sicilian coast. However, this area is characterized by family orchards, traditional cultural techniques, and inadequate commercial organization. These appear to affect negatively the production costs and reduce the farmers’ income, decreasing the competitiveness of Sicilian loquat orchards. This study evaluates the economic viability of Sicilian loquat orchards by means of cost-benefit analysis (CBA). In particular, for the investment assessment some financial indicators have been calculated such as net present value (NPV), discounted payback time (DPBT), and internal r…

Assessment of Italian energy policy through the study of a photovoltaic investment on greenhouse

The production of energy from renewable sources is a form of energy production that has less impact on the environment than the traditional one. For the farmer this new form of production represents an opportunity, especially for the economic benefits that can produce, both in terms of the incentives provided by the public operator and for higher revenues, deriving from the energy sale and/or the saving generated by self-consumed energy, that help to integrate the farmer’s income. In this paper, we analyzed a case study of a farm that has realized a grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system on greenhouse. In particular, firstly the farm profitability and subsequently was estimated in order to…

Le maggiorazioni sui consumi di gasolio agricolo per l’impiego agevolato in Sicilia: prime valutazioni

Post Feed-in Scheme Photovoltaic System Feasibility Evaluation in Italy: Sicilian Case Studies

: Thanks to national energy policies, over recent years the Italian photovoltaic (PV) sector has undergone an extraordinary growth, also affecting the primary sector. In this context, Mediterranean greenhouses are well-adapted to photovoltaic systems because they represent one of the most energy-intensive sectors in agriculture. The Italian feed-in scheme ended at the beginning of 2013, making it necessary to investigate the feasibility of photovoltaic systems devoid of any electricity production-related incentives. In this paper, production cost and profitability analyses of photovoltaic electricity have been conducted, considering Mediterranean solar greenhouses in which, thanks to net me…

PAYMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TERRITORY

Over the last years the interest in environmental s ervices provided by forests has considerably grow. This situation, in developed countries, derive from risi ng demand of new goods and services tied to landsca pe use and leisure activities. These can be considered such as no woody products and they represent externalities produced by forest that, if suitably utilized, could produce value for the area and earn ings for people living near forests. From an economic point of view, at the aim of providing these services, it is necessary the introduction of a suitable payment sy stem or, in alternative, a situation in which posit ive externalities of landscape, in sync with other good s/service…

PROFITABILITY OF SMALL LOQUAT FARMS IN SICILY

The northern Sicilian coastline, known for its favorable soil and climatic conditions, represents the main production area in Italy for loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.). Over the years, the absence of process innovation and appropriate marketing strategies caused a gradual decline of loquat cultivation. This study estimates the profitability of some representative Sicilian farms that grow loquat in the area of Trabia (Palermo Province), where this crop is important for the local economy. The results highlighted a productive scenario characterized by high production costs, where only a family farm that supplies much of its own labor can survive.

Economic and Financial Comparison between Organic and Conventional Farming in Sicilian Lemon Orchards

Sicily has a long tradition in citrus fruit cultivations that with vineyard and olive tree represent the main Mediterranean tree crops. In this paper we have evaluated the economic and financial sustainability of lemon production, both in organic farming and in conventional farming

Novità introdotte dagli ultimi riferimenti normativi in materia di agro-energie

Valutazione economica degli investimenti fotovoltaici nelle aziende agricole

Economic analysis of PV systems on buildings in Sicilian farms

Abstract The photovoltaic sector in Italy in recent years has experienced a rapid growth also in the primary sector, thanks to substantial incentives guaranteed by energy policies, simultaneous reduction of investment costs and tax benefits. In order to better understand the growth of the PV industry in Italian primary sector, the aim of this paper has been to evaluate the economic convenience of four PV systems on farm buildings located in four different farms of the north-western coast of Sicily and realized during the second and fourth Italian feed-in schemes. For each feed-in scheme it has been considered a PV plant that sells the electricity to the grid and another in which the energy …

Efficacy and Efficiency of Italian Energy Policy: The Case of PV Systems in Greenhouse Farms

The production of energy from renewable sources is a form of energy production that has less impact on the environment than the traditional one. For the farmer this new form of production represents an opportunity, especially for the economic benefits that can produce, both in terms of the incentives provided by the public operator and for higher revenues, deriving from the sale of energy back to the grid and/or the savings generated by self-consumed energy, that help to increase the farmer’s income. In this paper, we analyzed a case study of a farm that has realized a grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system on a greenhouse. In particular, firstly the farm profitability has been estimated a…