Australian Farm Business Management Journal:

AFBM Journal offers a publication venue for scientists working in the area of farm business management and the related areas of agricultural technology and farming systems.The content focuses on areas of interest to farm business, farming systems and agricultural technology management professionals.

Volume 13 - 2016

Paper 18 - 35 : KS Pollock, LJ Fragar and R. Griffith

Occupational Health and Safety on Australian Farms: 3. Safety Climate, Safety Management Systems and the Control of Major Safety Hazards
The Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety established a longitudinal study of 335 NSW farm enterprises to derive data on farm health and safety management and how it relates to farmer perceptions. The analysis reported in this paper benchmarked the perceptions of the study informants on the role and importance of health and safety on their farms and reviewed the safety performance of the study enterprises, focusing on management of safety systems and processes and control of major risks and hazards on their farms.

Volume 13 - 2016

Paper 1 - 17: JE McPhee  JR Maynard , PL Aird , HH Pedersen  and JN Tullberg

Economic modelling of controlled traffic for vegetable production

Although controlled traffic farming (CTF) has been shown to provide production, environmental and economic benefits in a number of cropping industries, uptake in vegetable production is limited. In many situations adoption is constrained by the lack of harvest equipment suited to CTF. Research shows there are important soil benefits, and potential yield improvements, to be gained from CTF in vegetable production. With little on-ground experience to provide economic data, a model was developed to determine the difference in returns between three different vegetable farming systems. Returns were calculated as income minus operating and ownership costs (including interest and depreciation). Case study farms were used as data sources, and despite using very conservative estimates of the production and management changes likely to occur under CTF, modelling indicated median increases in average returns of up to 29%. These results were obtained even when the costs of meeting harvest integration were taken into account, indicating that the benefits of controlled traffic in vegetable production should adequately cover the costs of transition.

Volume 12 - 2015

Paper 1 - 21: S Glover

How to think about what climate change might mean for a wool producer in Yass, New South Wales

Many future climate scenarios suggest that much of southern Australia could potentially experience higher temperatures and less rainfall. Consequently, livestock production is likely to become more challenging in the future. Managing these risks by examining the potential economic impact of alternative futures is a sensible approach for wool producers to consider in the face of predicted changes in climate. In this paper a way of thinking about the impacts of climate change is presented for wool producers in Yass, New South Wales. Continued genetic improvement will assist in reducing the impact of climate change on operating profit. The long term outlook for wool production and the demand from global markets needs to be considered in a whole farm approach.

Paper 22-31: Peter Sale and Bill Malcolm

Amending sodic soils using sub-soil manure: economic analysis of crop trials in the high rainfall zone of Victoria
In this paper the question is answered about how profitable it was to incorporate 10 and 20 tonnes of poultry litter (manure) per ha to amend sodic sub-soil used for high rainfall cropping on two farms in south western Victoria over the four years 2009 to 2012. Incorporating 20 t/ha of manure in the sub-soil resulted in an extra annual net return of $419 or $546/ha, in present value equivalent terms at 8% nominal discount rate, above the return from conventional cropping each year for the four years.

Paper 32-50: Ross Kingwell and Brent Payne

Projected impacts of climate change on farm business risk in three regions of Western Australia

A farm simulation model known as STEP (Simulated Transitional Economic Planning) is used to examine the financial performance of a range of farms under current and projected climate in three regions of Western Australia. In two of the regions climate change is expected to cause more unfavourable production years, whilst in the other region more favourable production years are projected. Climate change projections indicate that not all regions in the Western Australian wheatbelt will be adversely affected.

Paper 51-69: John Welsh, Janine Powell, Fiona Scott

Optimising nitrogen fertiliser in high yielding irrigated cotton: A benefit-cost analysis and the feasibility of participation in the ERF
 
Maximising nutrient use efficiency and minimising emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, could enable Australian producers of high yielding irrigated cotton to participate in the Emissions Reduction Fund. This paper reviews nitrogen (N) use in the cotton industry in Australia to date and the challenges of achieving optimal N use in commercial growing practices. The study quantifies both the social and economic parameters in a benefit-cost analysis using two scenarios: an optimal use of N fertiliser and an overuse of N fertiliser in irrigated cotton production. Results of sensitivity analysis for social and economic costs have implications for policy makers focusing on improved N management and an industry supplying an increasingly environmentally aware global market. The study also contains preliminary modelling using industry research of a cotton-N emissions abatement project under the Australian Government’s Emissions Reduction Fund.

Paper 70-77: JF Wilkins, WA McKiernan, BJ Walmsley and MJ McPhee

Automated data capture using laser technology to enhance live cattle assesment and description

This paper describes the development of an automated technique using laser technology to estimate hip height of cattle. Body dimensions of cattle are very useful as basic descriptors, but can also be used to predict animal performance and carcass characteristics. An automated electronic system would make the capture of such data objective and more cost efficient. The system developed can be incorporated into typical cattle handling facilities to measure body dimensions and generate useful descriptive parameters. The principle has subsequently been extended to explore the capability of 3D camera technology to improve and expand data capture for descriptive and predictive applications.