MAJOR FARM MANAGEMENT FACTORS ON GISBORNE HILL COUNTRY FARMS

Abstract

A FARM MANAGEMENT STUDY was carried out on 80 hill country properties to the north and north-west of Gisborne over the last decade, but more specifically, the four years 1976-1979. Although the criteria examined were constant, their values varied from year to year, and from farm to farm. The results of the analysis indicate what has happened and how. Variations over the years-i.e., in production or profit - can be caused by a large number of factors, some of which are manageable - i.e., can be influenced by man - and some of which cannot be measured - e.g., many of the management skills. Those factors which were investigated were the ones on which some measure could be made, and those discussed are the ones which contributed significantly to that variation.