Life Sciences Commons^™

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sheep Programmes For Esperance Settlers With Limited Finance, R J. Doyle, G. D. Oliver

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

FARMING in the Esperance region has now passed through the phase of experimentation into the phase of consolidation.

But not all new settlers are prosperous.

On occasions, a lifetime ambition to own and operate a farm has ended in failure because the settler has been forced through economic circumstances to give up his block.

Too often this follows the unequal struggle of trying to develop a block with too little capital.

Rules Of The Western Australian Pure Bred Dairy Cattle Production Recording Scheme, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

REVISION of these rules was necessary because of the amalgamation of the field work with that of Grade Herd Recording.

Adjustments have been made to facilitate more expeditious handling of records in the Department's Head Office.

Other minor changes have been made to bring the rules into line with present day practice.

Agriculture In Western Australia. 3. The Economic Potential Of The Wongan-Ballidu Shire. Part 1, G D. Oliver, A. W. Hogstrom

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

IN West Australian agriculture there is a considerable "backlog" of information available to farmers which is not being used in practical farming. This, of course, is true of agricultural industries anywhere in the world.

This "backlog" results in a big difference in productivity between the best farms and the "average" farms in each district.

This article is a simple economic study of the potential of one shire of Western Australia.

The Economic Potential Of The Wongan-Ballidu Shire. Part 2. Costs And Returns, G D. Oliver, A. W. Hogstrom

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

THE potential of the Wongan-Ballidu Shire to produce increased quantities of grain, wool, sheep and meat up to the year 2,000 was estimated and discussed in the first part of this article (see last issue).

In this second and final part the financial returns likely to accrue to the shire and the individual farmers as a result of these increases are discussed.

Breeding Records For Dairy Cattle, P B. Lewis

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

A N Y business needs records to show up inefficiencies and to indicate where and/or when danger points are being reached.

One record which can be of much use to the dairy farmer is the cow breeding record.

Does Herd Recording Help Farmers Improve Husbandry, Maurice C. Cullity

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

THE proportion of the dairy herds throughout Australia that are being production recorded is low.

This is particularly surprising when the large amount of propaganda encouraging farmers to herd test is considered.

Agriculture In Western Australia, A W. Hogstrom

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

A review of the development of agriculture in Western Australia with an outline of the distribution and importance of present agricultural and pastoral enterprises.

WESTERN Australia's economy has always been largely dominated by its pastoral and agricultural activities.

For short periods gold has given greater annual returns than the products of farms and stations, but these periods have never been very long.

Only in recent years has the value of factory production equalled that of our stations and farms.

The 1964 Ord River Cotton Crop, G D. Oliver, A. W. Hogstrom

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

IN November-December, 1963, the first five farmers allocated land in the Ord River Irrigation Area planted their first crop of cotton, which is expected to be the major crop grown in the area.

The crop was harvested in May-June, 1964, and has since been sold.

Cull Your Dairy Cows On Production, R A. Bettenay

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

Good production and breeding records are essential to allow effective culling of dairy cows, says Busselton Agricultural Adviser R. A. Bettenay, B.Sc. (Agric.) in this article, in which he outlines points to take into account when culling the herd.

A New Economics Research Centre. John Thomson Agricultural Economics Centre At The Institute Of Agriculture, University Of Western Australia, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

A NEW research unit has been established at the University of Western Australia's Institute of Agriculture to study the economic aspects of agricultural problems in Western Australia.

Pigs On The Dairy Farm : Records Show State Of The Business, P C. Beck

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

HOW many pig raisers have even a rough idea of their margin of profit from pigs?

Even in the present time of low returns, the answer is obviously "far too few".

Preparation Of Vegetables For Market, James P. Fallon

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

PROFITS in commercial vegetable growing depend as much on proper harvesting, handling and marketing as on good production practices.

Many gardeners who are experts as producers are perhaps not so expert in presenting their produce in a manner which will command the most favourable return.

Government Botanist Retires, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

MR CHARLES AUSTIN GARDNER, West Australian Government Botanist since 1927, retired from active service with the Department of Agriculture on July 5, 1960.

Hold On To Your Egg Profits, J A. Hoy

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

IN recent years, much sound advice has been made available to poultry farmers to assist them in developing their properties and operating them on profitable lines.

Much of this advice has been utilised to good advantage, but there are still many properties on which the profits are being reduced by feed wastage, damage by rats and mice, lack of sufficient attention to egg quality, unnecessarily high labour costs and failure to keep farm records.

Animal Division Moves To South Perth, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THE Animal Division of the Department of Agriculture — which includes the Veterinary Branch, the Animal Health and Nutrition Laboratories and the Poultry Branch—was transferred to new premises at Jarrah Road, South Perth, early in July.