Agribusiness Commons^™

Focus On The Future Agriculture Western Australia's Strategic Directions 1998 - 2008, Agriculture Western Australia

Reports

Strong growth in global demand combined with productivity gains, product innovation and sustainability improvements throughout the 1990s enable Western Australia agriculture to look to the 21st century with confidence.

This optimistic outlook is largely the result of innovation across the agricultural industries based on research, development and extension - activities in which Agriculture Western Australia continues to be the State's leading provider.

Focus on the Future is ambitious, and sends a unequivocal message about our strategic directions and the rationale guiding the agency in allocating resources to those areas which offer the biggest benefits to the Western Australian agriculture, food …

Agriculture And The Western Australian Economy : Value Added Contribution Of Agricultural Commodities, Nazrul Islam

All other publications

No abstract provided.

The Prospect For An Asparagus Industry In Northern Western Australia, John Bonnardeaux

Horticulture published reports

Asparagus grown in temperate regions of southern Australia is available, fresh, between August and March. For the remainder of the year, asparagus is not grown in Australia on a significant scale.

Recent work in Thailand, Peru, Kununurra (northern-western Australia) and Katherine (Northern Territory) has indicated that good quality asparagus can be produced in tropical and subtropical climates. Furthermore, research has shown the timing of the harvest can be manipulated by withholding irrigation and fern cutting. In an environment such as the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) it is possible to harvest asparagus at any time of the year.

This report …

Vegetable Budgeting Handbook For The Manjimup District, Peter Gartrell

Horticulture published reports

Budgeting for existing or proposed business activities are critical in the decision making and implementation chain. Success of any business results from good planning. Failing to plan is planning to fail.

Business management involves a revolving cycle of identifying resources and opportunities, setting goals, planning, budgeting, implementing, recording, controlling, revision and reevaluation. This document deals with only one facet of the budgeting phase of the cycle.

The most significant reasons for budgeting are the establishment of the expected outcome and the assessment of risk. By making adjustments to cost and income parameters one can see how sensitive the business or …

An Evaluation Of Mango (Mangifera Indica L.) Cultivars And Their Commercial Suitability For The Kimberley, P. R. Johnson, D. M. Robinson

Horticulture published reports

An evaluation of 74 mango cultivars was conducted from 1983 to 1995 in the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) on Cockatoo sand. The aim to determine their suitability for commercial production and establish the basis for a mango industry in the Northern tropics of Western Australia. Measurements were made on yield, harvest times, flowering times, brix, fruit quality, growth rates and market acceptability. Results have indicated that cultivars, other than Kensington Pride, most commercially suitable in the ORIA are Banana for early cropping in mid September, Irwin for high regular yields and good market acceptability, Haden for excellent market acceptability, …

International Market Opportunities For Lentils, Andrew Quinn, Malcolm Sedgwick

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

The purpose of this report is to determine, through desk top statistical analysis, those countries which hold significant promise for the export expansion of the Western Australian lentil industry.

The report is comprised of five parts. 1) a brief lentil overview, 2) world lentil production and trade, 3) Australian lentil production and trade, 4) Western Australian lentil production and trade and 5) conclusions.

The first four sections identify the major producers, exporters, importers and premium markets operating in the international lentil market. The fifth section concludes by identifying six countries that warrant further in-market analysis to determine their lentil preferences …

International Market Opportunities For Field Peas, Andrew Quinn, Malcolm Sedgwick

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

The purpose of this report is to determine, through desk top statistical analysis, key countries which hold significant promise for the export expansion of the Western Australian field pea industry.

The report is comprised of five parts. 1) a brief field pea overview, 2) world field pea production and trade, 3) Australian field pea production and trade, 4) Western Australian field pea production and trade and 5) conclusions.

The first four sections aim to identify the major producers, exporters, importers and premium markets operating in the international field pea market. The fifth section concludes by identifying six countries that warrant …

Achievements In Wool 1997, Agriculture Western Australia

Animal production and livestock published reports

The Wool Strategy Group, which I initiated in 1993, and Agriculture Western Australia's Wool Program are strategic partners working together with industry to develop and market this State's wool industry.

Wool is Western Australia's second most important agricultural industry, with a current export value of $643 million. It has the potential to return to a billion dollar industry in the next five years and the industry needs to be strongly focused on producing what the market requires to take advantage of this.

The Wool Strategy Group, led by Chairman Mr Philip Gardiner, and the Wool Program, have established an international …

International Market Opportunities For Faba Beans, Andrew Quinn, Malcolm Sedgwick

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

Western Australian faba bean production is growing and export volumes are increasing. In contrast, production is declining in many of the world's traditional faba bean regions. World trade, however, is growing.

China dominates the world export market and is growing rapidly as an exporter. The UK and Australia are the second and third largest exporters respectively.

As Western Australian production increases, the State will increasingly play an important role in Australia's ability to supply faba beans into markets looking tor quality and stable supply.

Saudi Arabia has emerged as the State's largest export market. The State is well located to …

Resource Management Decision Support Tools - Brief Model Descriptions, Campbell White & Associates Pty Ltd

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

During the past 10 years, a number of financial models have been developed within Agriculture Western Australia to assist decision making in resource management. Various approaches have been taken including whole farm, development and partial budgets.

Natural resource managers within Agriculture Western Australia, have identified a need to preserve these decision support systems in a central library. The models should be readily accessible to new staff, and the library should provide an 'engine' through which the models can be promoted, and information relating their application distributed. Recent technology such as the development and mainstream adoption of the World Wide Web …

Nonconsumptive Outdoor Recreation Expenditures In Louisiana: An Economic Analysis, Jorge Arturo Rojas Orlich

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Tactical Responses And Risk Aversion On Farm Wheat Supply, Ross S. Kingwell

Natural Resources Research Articles

A discrete stochastic programming model of the farming system of the eastern wheatbelt of Western Australia is used to examine the effect of tactical responses and risk aversion on wheat supply. Including within-season tactical changes to wheat areas decreases the own-price elasticity of supply. By contrast, introducing risk aversion has no consistent effect on the own-price elasticity of supply. The implications for supply models are discussed.

The Business Checklist, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

A business can be likened to a broken water barrel. The performance of the business is represented by the volume of water the barrel can hold and the management skills of the manager are represented by the broken staves. The higher the manager's level of skill, the longer the stave.

If the business is to be successful, the manager's skills must cover all management areas of the business. Very good skills in one management area (for example, landcare planning) will not compensate for poor skills in another (for example, financial management). The performance of the business is limited by the …

Grain Legume And Canola Autumn Updates 1995, David Williams

Grain and other field crops published reports

Grain legumes

- Chickpea

- Field pea

- Lentil

- Faba beans

Canola essentials:

Site selection -Paddock selection is critical for a successful canola crop. Avoid paddocks with waterlogging, wind erosion and broadleaf weeds - particularly wild radish, turnip, mustard and doublegees.

Soil type - Canela grows well on most soil types, however it prefers well drained gravel soils, red loams, sandy _loams and deeper duplex soils. Soil pH levels (in CaCl_²) of 4.5 to 8.0 are suitable. Soil test paddock for pH, phosphorus, and potassium levels.

Rotation - Grow canola after manipulated pasture, lupins or other grain …

Msda A Machinery Selection Decision Aid For Stubble Management Practices, Linda Leonard, Andrew Green

Grain and other field crops published reports

MSDA is a user friendly program developed to help farmers predict stubble outcomes before acting on their management practice. This manual is an accompaniment to a computer program designed on Micorsoft Excel-macros. Its aim is to help farmers assess their current machinery and stubble handling ability and view options that may be adopted as best practice for their properties.

The program is designed with the complete season in mind. Information is gathered on the full complement of machinery used from harvest through to seeding, to allow farmers to see all choices available and enable them to choose the best system …

Should Australia Export Its Native Birds?, Ross Kingwell

Biosecurity Research Articles

Commercial export from Australia of native birds, wild or captive bred, is prohibited. This paper firstly describes the current legislation and regulations that restrict the export of native birds and discusses why governments have adopted such a regulatory approach to bird species preservation. Secondly, the paper reviews the debate concerning the export ban, pointing out strengths and weaknesses in arguments and indicating the important role of CITES. Lastly, the paper outlines a new case for a conditional lifting of the ban, whereby DNA fingerprinting is used to establish transferable property rights to overcome a main source of market failure in …

Delaying The Development Of Herbicide Resistant Ryegrass By Using Alternative Weed Control Strategies, A. J. Diggle, G. S. Gill, J. E. Holmes

Biosecurity published reports

Alternative strategies to control ryegrass in wheat lupin rotations are worth approximately 15 dollars per hectare for each 50% reduction achieved in plant or seed numbers. This figure has been calculated for circumstances similar to those found at Wongan Hills, and it holds in all cases where ryegrass is still under control using standard herbicides.

Farmers should adopt any ryegrass strategy in addition to that normally practised, so long as the cost to control ratio is less than $15/ha/50% kill. This applies even where good control is being achieved using grass selective herbicides, regardless of the number of previous applications …

Growing Lettuce, Margaret Graham

Horticulture published reports

The commonly cultivated lettuce, Lactuca sativa, is an annual belonging to the sunflower family. It has been cultivated for over 2500 years, and is a popular salad vegetable.

There are three main subspecies commonly grown.

• IL. sativa ssp capitata - Head type - Crisphead is a lettuce with a firm head and brittle leaves. It is the major lettuce type grown in Australia and is also known as iceberg lettuce. - Butterhead (buttercrunch, mignonette) lettuce has soft, pale leaves and a delicate buttery flavour. It is of major importance in Europe, where it is grown as a greenhouse crop.
• L. …

A Socio-Economic Study Of Nature Tourist Behavior In Louisiana, Rudolf Walter Jacobs Ast

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Miscellaneous Publication 42/93 - Development And Dissemination Of Design Methods For Rangeland Paddocks Which Maximise Animal Production And Minimise Land Degradation, Shane Cridland, Mark Stafford Smith

Animal production and livestock published reports

Surveys of rangeland resources in Western Australia to date have shown that 23% of the area surveyed is in poor range condition. Poor condition is characterised by the loss of perennial vegetation allowing wind and water erosion. Approximately another 37% is in only fair range condition (Curry and Hacker 1990).

The loss of range condition is partly due to uneven use of paddocks by sheep and cattle. The areas close to water and the preferred pasture types are often over-utilised, while areas well away from water and less preferred pasture types are under-utilised. The result is that rangeland in good, …

Bulletin No 4247 - Introduction To Commercial Mushroom Growing, Margaret Graham

Bulletins 4000 -

No abstract provided.

Packer Integration Into Hog Production: Current Status And Likely Impacts Of Increased Vertical Control On Hog Prices And Quantities, Azzeddine M. Azzam, Allen C. Wellman

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

In a survey conducted three years ago by the staff of Pork '88, it was found that some of the major players in the pork industry, like Smithfield foods, for example, have either integrated into hog production or have all the requirements for vertical integration in place. The move toward internalizing the exchange process in the hog/pork sector through vertical integration has raised several questions ranging from its impact on prices and quantities to its impact on individual hog producers. This report is a first step toward studying these issues. Its specific objectives are a) to provide some insights into …

Land Use History: Universal Forest Products Mill Site, Susie Van Kirk

Susie Van Kirk Papers

A history of land use in post-settler Humboldt County, spanning from 1850-1992. This report discusses the process of industrialization in Humboldt County, focusing on the Arcata Creamery and the Arcata Mill. This report includes a history of how the logging, milling, and agriculture industries expanded and created the need for industry such as the Creamery and the Mill.

A Review Of Plant Introductions To The Kimberley 1955 To 1987, R Mccartney

Grain and other field crops published reports

This report summarizes the work done by the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, in the west and north Kimberley in introducing plant species during 1955-1987.

For the purposes of this repor1the following areas are defined thus:

• West Kimberley- lies between latitude 17°5 and 19°5 and longitude 121°E and 127°E, with an extension to the north of 1° between 121°E and I 24°20'E. The area is 118,000 km".

• North Kimberley - lies north of latitude 17°5 and between longitude 124°20'E and 127°30'E. The area is 85,000 km'.

• East Kimberley-lies north of latitude 19°5 and between longitude 127°30'E and …

Miscellaneous Publication 28/91 - Midas (Model Of An Integrated Dryland Agricultural System), David J. Pannell, Andrew Bathgate

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

MIDAS is a bioeconomic model of mixed crop/livestock farms in Western Australia. It selects farm management strategies which maximise profit subject to resource, technical and environmental constraints using the linear programming technique. This document provides a thorough documentation of the version of MIDAS developed for the "eastern wheatbelt" region. If you are learning to use MIDAS with the MARG menu driven system, you need to read the MARG manual as well as this documentation.

From early in the life of MIDAS, we gave a high priority to making the data and assumptions readily accessible in documentation and in microcomputer spreadsheet …

Bulletin No 4189 - Training And Care Of The Sheep-Dog, John Charlick, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

A well trained sheep-dog is a considerable asset to a farmer — in a recent Queensland Department of Primary Industries study, participating graziers estimated the value of a good working dog to be up to $20,000 a year.

Despite their value, dogs can be maintained cheaply. The Queensland study quoted $130 a year as the most any grazier spent on an individual dog — for dry food, vaccine and treatments for internal and external parasites.

This Bulletin aims to show how to train a sheep-dog from a raw pup to a highly useful and well trained, mature dog. The methods …

Bulletin No 4176 - Agroforestry With Widely Spaced Pine Trees, Richard Moore, Peter Jenkins, Geoff Anderson, Phil Scott

Bulletins 4000 -

Combining a softwood timber crop with other forms of agriculture on the same land can make better use of available space, soil and water, and lead to higher productivity from farms.

This Bulletin outlines the potential benefits of, and a programme for, the growing of pine on farmland in Western Australia in conjunction with either pasture or another crop. The agroforestry system described has been well researched in Westem Australia.

The main objectives of agroforestry are to produce high quality timber while maintaining adequate pasture for either grazing or fodder cropping until the timber is harvested.

An Investigation Into The Government Extension Services Operating In South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, North And South Island, New Zealand : June 1 To July 7, 1991, Philip Hawker

All other publications

Brian Carlin Memorial Award Study Tour Report

Farm Management Memo - Advice To Help Farming Through The Rural Downturn, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

Historically, commodity prices cycle between a "boom and a bust" every few years. Farmers are often able to adjust their operations to reduce the impact of a downturn in commodity prices by:

• Increasing efficiency through reducing or maintaining input costs while maintaining or increasing production levels.

• Maximising returns through seeking price premiums on commodities (protein, noodle quality, finer wool, increased clean wool yield).

• Reducing overhead costs

• Seeking cheaper finance or refinancing costly loans

• Careful planning and management with a high degree of attention to detail.

• Seeking advice

Bulletin No 4158 - Western Australian Beef Industry - Economic Constraints And Future Market Outlook, Alan Peggs

Bulletins 4000 -

Since the mid 1970s there has been a substantial decline in cattle numbers in Western Australia. Most of this decline has occurred in the agricultural areas.

Much of the decline in cattle numbers can be attributed to low real cattle prices.

As a result of the fall in cattle numbers beef production has also fallen. However, the percentage fall in production has been somewhat less than the percentage decline in numbers due to a rise in the average carcass weight of animals slaughtered.

With declining beef production the amount of beef available for export has also declined. Similarly domestic consumption …