A Case Study on the Economic Feasibility of Producing Maple liners in a Traditional Tobacco Greenhouse

The goal of this case study was to investigate the economic feasibility of a new enterprise for Southside Virginia farmers to help alleviate problems stemming from a loss of income and excess production capacity of a tobacco greenhouse. Maple liner production in a tobacco greenhouse was determined to not be economically feasible by this study. The control scenario, as well as the sensitivity analysis revealed that maple liner production would yield a loss when produced in a tobacco greenhouse. The breakeven number of plants to be sold was 43% of the cuttings planted, and could exceed 50% under some conditions of the sensitivity analysis. While the maple liner production schedule was determined to be culturally suitable as a supplemental greenhouse activity, the tobacco greenhouse engineering design was deemed inadequate for maple liner production. Modifications were needed to the ventilation and irrigation systems. This economic study was based on a field trial conducted in Halifax County, Virginia.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Agricultural and Applied Economics

Department dc:contributor.department

Agricultural and Applied Economics

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2002

Author dc:creator

• Wilkerson, Joseph Edward

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Coale, Charles W. Jr.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Cundiff, John S.
• Jones, Eluned C.
• Eaton, Gregory K.

• economic feasibility
• alternative enterprise
• tobacco greenhouse
• maple liners

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-06282002-123412

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/33787