Question: Blueberries can be harvested using either a wet method or a dry method. Dry-harvested blueberries can be sold at a premium, while wet-harvested blueberries are

Blueberries can be harvested using either a "wet"

Blueberries can be harvested using either a "wet"

Blueberries can be harvested using either a "wet" method or a "dry" method. Dry-harvested blueberries can be sold at a premium, while wet-harvested blueberries are used mainly for blueberry juice and bring in less revenue. Pearl Blueberry Cooperative must decide how much of its blueberry crop should be harvested wet and how much should be dry harvested. Pearl Cooperative has 10.000 barrels of blueberries that can be harvested using either the wet or dry method. Dry blueberries are sold for $34.50 per barrel and wet blueberries are sold for $19.50 per barrel. Once harvested, blueberries must be processed through several operations before they can be sold. Both wet and dry blueberries must go through deshaffing and cleaning operations. The deshaffing and the cleaning operations can each be run continuously for the whole season (with a total of 2,000 hours available for each process). Each barrel of dry blueberries requires 0.18 hours in the deshaffing operation and 0.32 hours in the cleaning operation. Wet blueberries require 0.04 hours in the dechaffing operation and 0.10 hours in the cleaning operation Wet blueberries must also go through a drying process. The drying process can also be operated continuously for the whole season with a total of 2,000 hours available), and each barrel of wet blueberries must be dried for 0.22 hours. (a) Develop a linear programing model that Pearl Cooperative can use to determine the optimal number of barrels of blueberries to dry harvest and wet harvest such that sales are maximized Let W= barrels of blueberries harvested using wet method and D= barrels of blueberries harvested using dry method) Make sure to fully specify the objective function and constraint(). b) Use Excel Solver to find a solution for the linear programming model in part (a). How many barrels of blueberries should be dry harvested? (Round your answers to the nearest integer.) How many barrels of blueberries should be wet harvested? (Round your answers to the nearest integer.) What is the optimal value of the objective function? Based on your answers in parts (a) and (b), which constraints are binding, and which are non- binding? Why? Explain. (d) Suppose that Pearl Cooperative can increase its deshaffing capacity by using an outside firm for this operation. Pearl Cooperative will still use its own deshaffing operation as much as possible, but it can purchase additional capacity from this outside fimm for $50 per hour. Should Pearl Cooperative purchase additional deshaffing capacity? Why or why not? Explain e Suppose that Pearl Cooperative can increase its cleaning capacity by using an outside fim for this operation. Pearl Cooperative will still use its own cleaning operation as much as possible, but it can purchase additional capacity from this outside fimm for $50 per hour. Should Pearl Cooperative purchase additional cleaning capacity? Why or why not? Explain. (1) Suppose that Pearl Cooperative can increase its drying capacity by using an outside fimm for this operation. A new manager has suggested purchasing an additional 100 hours of drying capacity, hoping that it contributes to improved sales. What is the expected change in sales if Pearl Cooperative were to implement this suggestion? Why? Explain

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