Economic assessment of deferred grazing pasture system for rangeland restoration in steppe areas: A quantitative analysis

Authors

  • Benbader Habib Conservation, Management and Improvement of Forest Ecosystems laboratory, National Higher Agronomic School, Algiers 16004, Algeria, Centre de Recherche en Agropastoralisme (CRAPAST), Djelfa 17000, Algeria
  • Mohamed Amine Benmehaia Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Biskra, Biskra, 07000, Algeria
  • Mohamed Saâdaoui Conservation, Management and Improvement of Forest Ecosystems laboratory, National Higher Agronomic School, Algiers 16004, Algeria
  • Mohamed Kacimi Elhassani Laboratory of Organic Chemistry and Natural Substances, University of Djelfa, Djelfa 17000, Algeria
  • Adel Djoughlafi Centre de Recherche en Agropastoralisme (CRAPAST), Djelfa 17000, Algeria
  • Abdelghafour Doghbage Centre de Recherche en Agropastoralisme (CRAPAST), Djelfa 17000, Algeria
  • Hafidh Zemour ISTA, University of Larbi Ben M’hidi, Oum El Bouaghi, Algeria
  • Walid Soufan Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
  • Muhammad Nazim State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
  • Fathi Abdellatif Belhouadjeb Centre de Recherche en Agropastoralisme (CRAPAST), Djelfa 17000, Algeria https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7624-4878

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25081/jaa.2025.v11.9186

Keywords:

Beneficiaries, Ecosystem services, Performance indicators, Scenario simulations

Abstract

Over the past three decades, substantial efforts have been made to implement public programs aimed at developing pastoral areas in Algeria. This study seeks to investigate the impacts of rangeland restoration projects, specifically deferred grazing, in the steppe regions. To achieve this objective, a comprehensive financial evaluation of pasture management techniques was conducted in the steppe. The study focused on identifying the most important ecosystem goods and services provided by deferred grazing project and the main beneficiaries compared with free-range grazing through observations in the areas concerned. Also, a detailed analysis of the cost structure for the deferred grazing technique, and four key criteria: Net Present Value NPV, Internal Rate of Return IRR, Invested Capital Recovery ICR, Profitability Ratio PR, and the productivity threshold for which breeders have an interest in using deferred grazing areas. Through scenario simulations, the financial profitability of these restoration projects was assessed by formulating various hypotheses. Additionally, the study evaluated the benefits of taking action to combat steppe land degradation. The results of the analysis yielded valuable insights into the economic implications of the restoration projects. Furthermore, this study draws important policy implications for the Algerian pastoral economy.

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References

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Published

03-03-2025

How to Cite

Habib, B., Benmehaia, M. A., Saâdaoui, M., Elhassani, M. K., Djoughlafi, A., Doghbage, A., Zemour, H., Soufan, W., Nazim, M., & Belhouadjeb, F. A. (2025). Economic assessment of deferred grazing pasture system for rangeland restoration in steppe areas: A quantitative analysis. Journal of Aridland Agriculture, 11, 17–28. https://doi.org/10.25081/jaa.2025.v11.9186

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