School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences - Theses
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ItemFarm adjustment on the Wimmera plains( 1971)In the past, in some wheat growing areas of Victoria, particularly the Wimmera, there has been almost total reliance on wheat, other enterprises filling a minor role in the farming system. With the introduction of wheat delivery quotas in April 1969, farm operators were faced with a sudden drop in income. The cost-price squeeze has aggravated the income problem. A typical Wimmera Plains wheat farm of 625 acres is small by Australian standards, but it has the potential to produce 7,500 bushels of wheat, or more, under a fertility-maintaining rotation. In 1970-71, however, farms of this size had, on average, a quota of only 4,700 bushels. The possible level of gross income from wheat has been reduced by between $400 and $3,000 per annum, depending on the comparative profitability of alternative enterprises to wheat. The aim of the study was to investigate two important aspects of the farm adjustment problem on the Wimmera Plains; firstly, the best use of resources released from wheat production, and secondly, the potential for adjustment towards optimal resource combinations. A sample of 20 farms, chosen at random from a population of 129, was surveyed in May and June, 1970. The data collected, together with information supplied by the Victorian Department of Agriculture, provided farm planning coefficients. Because of the relatively homogeneous nature of farms with respect to resource complements and enterprise possibilities, the representative farm model approach was considered to be satisfactory for the examination of farm adjustment possibilities on the Wimmera Plains. Using a representative model, linear programming was used to generate profit-maximising farm plans. Variable price programming was used to study the effect of commodity price changes on income. Because of the dominating importance of feed grains in plans, and uncertainty about their prices, enterprise combinations were studied at both "high" and "low" feed-grain prices. To substantiate the results generated for the representative farm model, five of the sample farms were studied individually. When only the "traditional" enterprises (cereals and sheep) were considered, planning results suggested that the five course rotation, pasture, fallow, crop, fallow, crop, with winter-lambing Merino ewes, is the maximum profit plan at both "high" and "low" feed grain prices. Wheat is grown to the level of quota and barley is grown on the remaining cropped area. Income from livestock is minor relative to crop income, providing only 15 to 30 per cent of total gross margin. However, several alternative (or "new') enterprises which are not vet commonly practised in the area were found to offer considerable promise. Oilseed crops, especially oilseed rape, are profitable alternatives to barley, particularly at low feed-grain prices. Even at the current relatively high feed grain prices, and assuming a conservative yield, rapeseed has the potential to lift income from the 625 acre representative farm model by up to $700 per annum. More experience is required with oilseed crops in the area before firm recommendations can be made. Beef cattle, grain feeding of beef, and pigs, can also contribute to increased farm income. Cattle compete directly with sheep for feed, but pigs can be integrated into the existing farming system using farm-grown barley and surplus operator labour. The returns to capital investment in the cattle and pig enterprises were found to be favourable, especially in the case of pigs. If the necessary capital is to be borrowed, however, it is unlikely that there will be surplus disposable income from cattle enterprises during a ten-year repayment period. Gains to the individual farmer from wheat quota negotiability were investigated. The five case-study farms were considered as a "mini-market" for wheat quota under perfect competition. Assuming that the five operators bought or sold quota in order to maximise their income, the average theoretical gain per farm, from negotiability, was between $100 and $200 per annum, depending on the price of barley. In the theoretical quota market seven thousand bushels of wheat quota were exchanged between the five farms. The return to labour and management which is possible on the typical 625 acre Wimmera Plains farm was found to be below an "acceptable" level of $3,500 per annum. However, at current land values, which have fallen substantially since 1968, the purchase or lease of additional land by typical farmers seems to be profitable. Results indicated that the machinery and labour capacity of the "typical" 625 acre property was sufficient to effectively farm more than 1,000 acres. Eleven per cent of the 129 farms in the Wimmera study area were found to be smaller than 500 acres in size. For such farms, additional land as well as additional quota would probably be necessary for viability, at least at low feed-grain prices.
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ItemA farm management economic analysis of future dairy systems in the Goulburn Valley( 2002)Case studies were used to analyse the organisation and management of two irrigated dairy farm businesses. In particular, the focus was to . identify the economic' aspects of current and future farming systems in the Goulburn Valley. The approach involved focusing on farmers, the farm business, and the specific details of the farm system that farmers were managing. A whole-farm perspective was relevant as it provided details of the farm system and farmer characteristics that substantially influence how they respond to market changes. The economic 'analyses revealed that theoretical concepts often match the practical management of irrigated. dairy businesses. Also, relatively simple farm management budgets, which capture the full effect on management of the whole farm system from development, have a useful role in providing farmers with effective information about the medium-term growth opportunities on irrigated dairy farms in the Goulburn Valley. From these results it can be concluded that 'it is not what you do, but how you do it' that primarily determines the level of success in achieving goals.
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ItemEvaluating community involvement in revegetation( 1994)As community awareness of the effects of land degradation has increased, groups of volunteers have formed to return native vegetation to the Australian landscape. Community involvement in revegetation expands the economic, social and environmental impacts of such projects. The research reported in this thesis aims to develop an evaluative framework for assessing such impacts for community-based revegetation projects in central Victoria. From this general aim, a specific set of research objectives were developed. They were: 1) To gain an understanding of land degradation and describe the development of community involvement in revegetation from an historical perspective. 2) To define 'revegetation', 'community', and 'government support' as key terms of reference; and hence projects eligible for the study. 3) To briefly review literature describing the terms social impact, economic impact and environmental impact. 4) To review literature investigating techniques for evaluating these impacts, with specific reference to revegetation projects and projects involving volunteers. 5) To identify the types of groups and structures involved in community-based revegetation in metropolitan Melbourne and rural central Victoria. 6) To categorise and describe the broad impacts of these revegetation projects. 7) To select three groups for investigation on a case study basis. 8) Develop a set of criteria appropriate for the evaluation of community-based revegetation. 9) To evaluate the case study groups using these criteria and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the framework. 10) Based on the research findings make general recommendations regarding the community-based revegetation movement. The review of the literature revealed decreases in agricultural productivity and moves by land managers to counter these losses with conservation measures. Revegetation was one such measure that had the greatest net social benefit when it was part of potentially sustainable land use system. Further investigation of the literature failed to reveal techniques specifically developed to evaluate the range of impacts associated with community-based revegetation projects in Australia. Baseline data were collected at 44 rural and 35 urban revegetation sites by personal interview. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify the factors which influenced plant survival. The major objective for revegetation of urban sites was improvement of amenity and scenic values. Planning of the revegetation projects generally was primitive and once established, some 70 per cent of sites relied on government. organisations for maintenance. Volunteers had contributed more hours than government officers to establish approximately 347,100 plants. The major factors influencing plant survival were season, planning, use of indigenous plants, plant protection and vandalism. The major objectives for rural revegetation were amelioration of salinity and erosion and creation of windbreaks. Planning of revegetation projects also was primitive. Rural group members had established almost 233,700 plants at group planting sites and 1,163,200 plants by individual plantings. Respondents believed lack of moisture, vermin, weed competition, insect and waterlogging had contributed to plant loss. The groups were categorised on the basis of their organisational structures. Three groups were selected for case study analysis, using Bennett and Nelson's (1975) evaluative model for community development as a framework. Performance indicators were drawn from the preliminary survey and recent evaluations of ParkCare and LandCare. Castle Creek Catchment LandCare group members were farmers who had joined the group because they were interested in better land management. Many respondents preferred to plant individually on their own farms, with availability of time as their major constraint. The group had planted approximately 25,000 trees and shrubs with 70 per cent survival rate. The combined value of volunteer and government labour, government grants and the cost of materials gave a estimate of $353,900 spent on revegetation. The ratio of Castle Creek Catchment LandCare group inputs to government inputs was 2:1. The cost per tree was calculated to be $20, the major component of which was labour costs. The second group, Sunbury LandCare group, was located on the urban fringe. As most members were hobby farmers there was division between those interested in public land and those whose priority was to revegetate their own properties. The group had established approximately 29,400 plants with 71 per cent plant survival. The value of contributions to revegetation was $236,000, with a ratio of 3:1 for volunteer inputs to government inputs. The cost per tree was estimated to be $11. At Greenlink Box Hill, an urban group, all members understood and agreed with group objectives. The group leaders were experts in the field of indigenous revegetation, so the standard of revegetation was high. The ratio of volunteer inputs to government inputs was 9:1. The group had established in the vicinity of 60,000 trees, shrubs, grasses, herbs and forbs. The cost per plant was $10. From the case studies, it was concluded that group success required a clear set of objectives which reflected member interests. Government support through grants and staff support was significant for all three groups. Officers working with the groups required technical and liaison skills. The standard of revegetation projects was linked to the constraints upon individuals and within the groups. Time, money and knowledge all influenced the level of planning, site preparation and maintenance. It appeared that the aims of shelter creation and improvement of landscape aesthetics were achievable through community-based revegetation. However, lack of monitoring of land degradation processes made it impossible to speculate upon the extent to which more complex processes such as erosion were affected. The underlying distinction between rural and urban revegetation was that most rural projects were on private land, whereas urban revegetation took place on public land. Lack of planning and explicit arrangements for follow-up maintenance, management and protection raise questions about the extent to which project objectives will be achieved in the long term. It is suggested that some of these shortcomings could be alleviated through a change in funding arrangements.