Economic principles applied to farm management. Tools of farm management analysis. Mechanics of farm planning. Mechanics of linear programming. Financing the farm business.
Whether you are working for government, an NGO or the private sector, if you are an agricultural extension worker who is trying to assist farmers in increasing the profitability of their farms, the material in this booklet should be of help to you.
This book showcases the power of economic principles to explain and predict issues and current events in the food, agricultural, agribusiness, international trade, natural resources and other sectors. The result is an agricultural economics textbook that provides students and instructors with a clear, up-to-date, and straightforward approach to learning how a market-based economy functions, and how to use simple economic principles for improved decision making. While the primary focus of the book is on microeconomic aspects, agricultural economics has expanded over recent decades to include issues of macroeconomics, international trade, agribusiness, environmental economics, natural resources, and international development. Hence, these topics are also provided with significant coverage.
In The Preparation Of This Book The Authors Have Attempted To Develop The Background Upon Which Successful Farming Is Founded, And To Present In Concise From And Orderly Discussion Of The Many Problems And Procedures Involved In Acquiring, Organising And Operating A Farm. Material Not Hitherto Available In Text Form Has Been Included To Supplement And Complete The Information Required For Successful Operation Of A Farm Business. The Text Has Been Prepared For Use In A General Course In Farm Management. Although The Book Has Been Prepared Primarily As Text, It Is Also Suitable As A Guide Book For Farmers, Many Of Whom Will Profit By Careful Reading. Contents Introductory Chapter 1: What Is Farm Management? Chapter 2: History And Development Of Farm Management; Chapter 3: Characteristics Of Farming. Part I: Elements Involved In Farming Chapter 4: Natural Resources In Relation To Farming; Chapter 5: Agricultural Production Areas; Chapter 6: Economic Forces Modify Production Areas; Chapter 7: Characteristics Of Types Of Farming. Part Ii: Farm Organisation Chapter 8: Becoming Established In Farming; Chapter 9: Principles Of Soil And Crop Management Involved In Farm Organisation; Chapter 10: The Place Of Livestock In Farm Organisation; Chapter 11: Planning The Physical Organisation Of The Farm; Chapter 12: Organisation Of The Farm Unit; Chapter 13: Mapping The Farm And Measuring Production; Chapter 14: Checking The Results; Chapter 15: Improving The Organisation; Chapter 16: Budgeting A Farm Business; Chapter 17: Which Plan Promises The Best Return? Part Iii: Farm Operation Chapter 18: Principles Of Farm Operation; Chapter 19: Determining The Results From Operation; Chapter 20: Measures Of Management In Farm Operation; Chapter 21: Measuring The Efficiency Of Operation; Chapter 22: The Human Factor In Farm Operation; Chapter 23: Shaping The Work Programme; Chapter 24: Farm Work Simplification; Chapter 25: Equipment For Economic Operation; Chapter 26: Farm Marketing Problems. Part Iv: Farm Management Services And Related Problems Chapter 28: Useful Farm Records; Chapter 29: The Use Of Capital And Credit In Farming; Chapter 30: Farm Marketing Organisations; Chapter 31: Farm Management Services; Chapter 32: Planned Production Programmes; Chapter 33: Legal Matters Relating To Farm Business. Appendix I: Measuring And Mapping A Farm.
As in the first edition, theory and practice are brought together in economies, finance, farm management and marketing in a way which highlights the interrelationships between them. The applied aspects, together with the coverage of marketing and the worked examples make the text uniquely important.
Farm Planning with Linear Programming: Concept and Practice focuses on concepts and methods in farm planning. The book first discusses the principles of farm planning, including elements of farm planning problems, summary, and review questions. The text highlights farm planning models. The nature of models; commonly used farm planning models; multiple constraint problems and program planning; problems in applying models; and comments are considered. The book also focuses on the linear programming network; opportunity cost and the simplex method; and analysis of the linear programming solution. The text also explains tableaux construction for short-run planning. Crop and pasture rotations; feed budgeting; buy, sell, and hire activities; and livestock reconciliation are discussed. The book also describes pastoral property applications. Breed comparison; economics of off-farm grazing and spatial diversification; and optimal calving date and lactation length on dairy farms are discussed. The text is a good source of information for agricultural researchers, farmers, and students wanting to study farm management.
This textbook addresses the main economic principles required by agricultural economists involved in rural development. The principles of 'micro-economics' or 'price-theory' are of relevance to economists everywhere, but this book reinforces the message of their relevance for rural development by explaining the theory in the specific context of the agricultural and food sectors of developing countries. Hypothetical and actual empirical illustrations drawn almost exclusively from such countries distinguish this book from other economic principles texts that draw their examples almost invariably from industrialised countries, and also from books more oriented to the issue of rural development. The first half of the book deals with the underlying principles of production, supply and demand. These are essential tools for the study and management of the agricultural sector and food markets. In the second half, supply and demand are bought together into a chapter of equilibrium and exchange. This is followed by chapters on trade and the theory of economic welfare. In the final chapter it is shown that much of the material in the earlier chapters can be combined by agricultural economists into a system for analysing and comparing the effects of alternative agricultural policies. The ability of agricultural economics to provide a consistent framework for the analysis of policy problems thus enables it to make a key contribution to rural development.
Chapter 1: Characteristics of agriculture. Chapter 2: managerial science in agricultural enterprises. Chapter 3: basic principles of economic analysis in the agricultural enterprise. Chapter 4: methods of obtaining information for analysis and planning of the agricultural enterprise. Chapter 5: standards of measurement for analyzing the agriculturalenterprise. Chapter 6: procedures for analyzing and planning the agricultural enterprise. Chapter 7: Farm management analysis in an integraleconomic development program. Chapter 8: using data on the agricultural enterprise as a guide for future planning. Chapter 9: indices or coefficients for analyzing alternative production lines. Chapter 10: evaluation alternate plans by means of comparative budgets.