A simulation model of hill & high country pastoral systems for evaluation of irrigation investment

Abstract

The first objective of this study was to develop a simulation model that would allow economic evaluation of alternative farm irrigation schemes in the hill and high country. The model would use estimates of irrigation water supply from a water harvesting model (Borrie and Heiler, 1984) to provide a management and economic evaluation of each engineering option. A second objective was to develop a model framework into which sophisticated submodels could be incorporated if and when they became available. The submodels developed for this study were kept simple and incorporated only sufficient detail to investigate irrigation in the Hakataramea Valley.