Efectos económicos de la estrategia de cosechas múltiples en el cultivo del ostión del norte Argopecten purpuratus: una oportunidad para mejorar la competitividad/Economic effects of the multiple harvests strategy in the culture of northern scallop Argopecten purpuratus: an opportunity to improve competitiveness

A recurrent situation in the market of many species under culture is the trend in the decline in the international price in opposition to the increase in the costs of inputs, forcing the industry to be innovative at the time of return on the investment. A little explored option is the increase in the value of production through a careful selection of sizes and timing of harvest. Partial harvests allow sub optimal calibers to have the necessary time to grow until reaching best attributes, at the same time that the fraction of better growth is harvested and put available on the market. It differs significantly from the alternative strategy of total harvest, where the entire production is harvested at the same time. Thus, the economic optimum is the result of first harvest time (DPC), the length at harvest (LC), number of harvests (NC) and time interval between successive harvests (Δt). The economic result of the strategy of multiple crops using a simulation model, powered by actual values of a culture firm of northern scallop (Argopecten purpuratus) was analyzed. Results indicate that the alternative combinations of DPC, LC, Δt and CN generate different levels of economic returns, aspect that should be considered by the producers. In simulated crop scenarios, a wrong decision could generate a difference in the order of US $510 thousand. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]