Business Commons^™

New Chief Executive To Take Agriculture Into The Future, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The appointment of Graeme Robertson as Chief Executive Officer of the Government agencies involved in agriculture is a milestone in the delivery of services to the agricultural sector in Western Australia

Food Into Asia, Geraldine Pasqual, Richard Taylor

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Competing for a share of Asia's food market may require playing by a new set of rules. New packaging and labelling formays will need careful and long-term planning and products must match the customer's palate and quality specifications.

Geraldine Pasqual and Richard Taylor explain some of the culturally significant rules of the game and why marketing success greatly depends on understanding what the customer wants and supplying it.

Beef Farms : Thriving Profits To Expensive Lifestyles, Bevan Kingdon, Greg Sawyer

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Low wool prices in the last few years have stimulated interest in beef production in many areas of the State. Market sales at $500 and above for vealers sound attractive, but profitability of farms varies greatly. A BeefFarm Survey conducted by the Department of Agriculture has some interesting preliminary findings. Based on fairly modest returns for the operator's time, some farms are actually losing rather than making money on their beef enterprise, although potential profits are sizeable with good management. Interestingly, the biggest farms are not always the most efficient.

Increasing Profit On Dairy Farms, G R. Olney, Warren Standing

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Farmers continually make decisions on all aspects of their farms that influence profit. For dairy farmers these include the number of cows, calving pattern, level and type of supplementary feeding, area of each pasture type and fodder crop, and the areas for hay or silage, or both. The extent and type of the beef sideline operations also influence the overall profitability of the farm.

The WesternAustralian Dairy Farm Model (WADFM) is a whole farm model developed by the Western Australian Department of Agriculture to help farmers maximise profits by considering all effects of such decisions on the farm.

Making The Most Of Our Floral Resources, Julie A. Pegrum

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In the past decade, floriculture has attracted wide interest across Australia as a new and innovative export industry. Our temperate climate and southern hemisphere location gives Australia the opportunity to become a supplier of cut flowers and foliage and potted plants to world markets. Sales of single-stemmed flowers such as roses, carnations and chrysanthemums dominate international trade. However, there is a demand for flowers which are uniquely Australian, particularly those which flower when production in the northern hemisphere winter is limited

Zack : A Computerized Farm Budgeting Program, Mark G. Stevens, Alan Peggs

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Developed by the Department of Agriculture, ZACK enables farmers to throw away their pencils, rubbers, calculators and cash-flow forms and use a computer to prepare their annual farm plans and cash-flow budgets.

Computer Model Can Help Wool Producers, K M S Curtis

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

No abstract provided.

Atrophic Rhinitis In Pigs, A R. Mercy

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Severe atrophic rhinitis in pigs recurred recently in Australia after an apparent absence of some 20 years. The first of these recent cases occurred in a Westerm Australian herd in late 1984 and since then six other local herds have reported the disease. Severe atrophic rhinitis has also been seen recently in South Australia.

Atrophic rhinitis is a complex disease which causes degeneration of the nasal cavity, twisting of the snout and sometimes occasional bleeding from the nose.

It occurs only in pigs and severely affected animals may have a slower growth rate.

Options For Machinery And Labour, A F. Herbert

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Machinery is one of the highest costs in farming today. It is not unusual for capital investment in machinery to be 20 to 30 percent of the total investment in the farm.

On an annual basis, expenditure directly attributable to machinery can be 40 per cent or more.

This article cannon be a panacea for everyone to reduce machinery costs - each farm is different. But some of the issues might be of help.

Finance For Farmers, P P. Eckersley

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Financing has always been an important part of farming. With more and more sources of farm finance, it has become more complicated.

This article outlines present sources of farm finance and suggests how a proposal for a loan should be presented.

The Machinery Crisis, W T. Brown

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The machinery crisis - I believe we have come through a crisis in farming efficiency. To maintain his income, the farmer has had to reduce his costs of production, or increase production per man. He has done this by climbing to a new plateau of efficiency, and he expanded or got out; he has substituted capital for labour.

In many cases this means bigger, more powerful machinery. This is not a simple or easy move and there are many potential ways to mske the wrong decision.

Service And Spare Parts, D Hosken

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Service is the preparation, delivery and after-sales maintenance of machinery. It involves responsibilities for both the dealer and the purchaser.

Department Expands Market Information Service, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Following recent expansion, the Department of Agriculture's Market Information Service now provides an impressive array of services, and more are on the way.

Low Cost Fencing, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Fences with more wire and posts are not necessarily stronger.

Design using high tensile wire can save on materials and reduce costs.

Economics Of Vine Growing, K R. Rutter

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Heavy demands are made on capital and labour recources throughout the five year dvelopment phase of a vineyard.

Labour and capital requirements vary considerably, but the following gives a look at one example of the costs involved.

Last Resort Loans For Farmers, J Ripley

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Several sources of finance are available to help fsrmers survive through a crisis.

One source of last resort is Rural Adjustment Authority.

Income Tax For Primary Producers, P J. Hackett

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Increased farm incomes of the past two years and recent changes in income tax provisions have aroused enquiry concerning taxation for primary producers.

Most farmers who have had preliminary March, 1975, income plus provisional tax assessments made have been astonished by the size of their likely commitment.

This article explains the taxation provisions applying to primary producers and gives an example of how tax is calculated, showing why March, 1975, will be a time of reckoning for many farmers.

Why New Land Farmers Need A Super Bounty, Edgar Noel Fitzpatrick

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Development of farming land in Western A ustralia's agricultural areas requires the application of large amounts of superphosphate. Since 1963, the Phosphate Fertiliser Bounty applied to superphosphate manufacture has ensured that this superphosphate has been available to farmers at reasonable cost and has helped to make new land development economically worth while.

Originally applied as an incentive to agricultural development, the bounty is now to be withdrawn and it is feared that the resulting increase in the cost of superphosphate will retard development of many West Australian farms and reduce many farm incomes to an unsatisfactory level.

These effects will …

Farm Operations Management, H E. Fels, A. W. Hogstrom

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The main defence of Australian farmers against the cost-price squeeze has been to increase productivity. The tendency is to run more and more stock per man and to grow more crop per man.

Some farmers run unusually large numbers of animal units per man-year.

The operations of 16 such farmers over one year were examined to find out whether it had been profitable for them to reduce labour inputs to such an extent.

Machinery Syndicates : An Effective Way Of Reducing The Cost Of Hay Making, E K. Simmons

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

No abstract provided.

Management Policies For Increasing Sheep Turnoff, T Marshall

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

An increase in the proportion of mated ewes in West Australian flocks could increase the number of sheep available for sale, without greatly affecting total sheep numbers or reducing farm income. This would help overcome a critical sheep shortage.

Probate Another Farm Cost, J Ripley

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Death duties are too big a cost to be ignored on most farms, because most farms have substantial assets in land, stock, buildings and machinery. The saying "a wise man does not lay up treasures, the more he gives to others the more he keeps for his own" seems true of the types of estate planning outlined in the following article.

The Rural Reconstruction Scheme, J Ripley

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In 1971 the Commonwealth Government passed the "State Grants (Rural Reconstruction) Act" to provide $100m to assist rural industry to adjust itself to the severe downturn in income. The money was to be divided amongst the States to enable State Governments to make loans to farmers and pastoralists.

In Western Australia the Government passed the "Rural Reconstruction Scheme Act, 1971", to implement the Scheme.

The New Director, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The former Deputy Director, Mr. E. N. Fitzpatrick, is the New Director of Agriculture.

Introducing The Hon. H.D. Evans, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE new Minister for Lands, Agriculture and Immigration the Hon. Hywell David Evans (46) brings to bis work a background of country experience.

Quarantine : Two New Inspection Centres Built, C R. Chambers

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A BIGGER population, a busier State; more travellers, more goods from more places; faster, more frequent transport—these things have demanded for Western Australia greater efforts to protect its primary industries from the chance introduction of disease and pests which could attack our plants and animals.

Farm Management Accounting For Farmers, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE managerial accounting service provided by the Farm Management Service Laboratory at the University of Western Australia enables any farmer in Australia or New Guinea to be connected by post to a computer and supplied with a timely flow of accurate information to improve the financial management of his farm business.

The Outlook For Barley, P J. Hackett, E. J. O'Loughlin

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

World production of barley in 1968 was 4,107 million bushels—an increase of 7 per cent, on the previous year.

Further increases are estimated for the 1969 season, especially in Canada and France. World production is expected to be 3 per cent, higher than in 1968.

W.A.G.R. Explains : How Demurrage Affects Farmers, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

An explanation of how W.A.G.R. charges demurrage for rail wagons used by farmers.

West Midlands Development : The Economics Of New Land Development, I J. Moncrieff

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE economics of new land development cannot really be separated from the financial aspects.

However, financing development is such a personal business that for general advisory purposes the distinction must be made.

For this reason, the article which follows largely avoids the financial side and is devoted to a consideration of some of the economic factors involved in the development of new land in this area.