The Australian dollar is considered primarily a commodity-based currency. The high level of commodity-based exports in Australia’s trade balance is given as an explanation. Accordingly changes in world commodity prices should bring commensurate changes in the value of the Australian...

Rapid dairy industry expansion in the South Island of New Zealand during the 1990’s increased demand for agistment and supplementary feed. Consultants and retailers recognised the ability of whole-crop cereal silage to provide the extra feed required. The local arable industry had...

The supply chain of the conventional Australian sugar industry is characterized by horizontal separation between the stages. Often antagonistic relations between segments, particularly farmers and millers, led to each developing their systems for their own segment’s benefit, without...

Record prices during mid-2004, tipping 530 c/kg (MLA 2004b) have lead to increased interest in the production of lamb. Overall sheep numbers have fallen by 30% in the last decade, while prime lamb production is increasing. With the consumer-dominating product selection there has been a changing...

Anecdotal evidence suggests that a horse’s prior fitness level has an effect on the horse’s ability to return to that previous level of fitness. This trial aimed to test this assumption which would benefit horse trainers to create individual fitness programs for horses....

Farmers are business managers and as such they must understand the law or they are likely to fall foul of it. This especially applies to contract law, with which they deal constantly. Contract law is made up of the common law – as the courts have decided it – and statute law- as...

There is evidence that productivity in Australia’s broadacre agriculture (extensive cropping and livestock industries) has been slowing in the past decade. A series of poor seasons has been partly responsible, but an econometric analysis of structural changes in the trend of total factor...

Irrigation re-use systems are a common way of improving water use efficiency on irrigated dairy farms in the Macalister Irrigation District. A partial budget analysis of installing a range of irrigation re-use systems on an existing dairy farm was conducted using a case study approach. Two...

Climate change is expected to have a significant effect on agricultural production but less is known about its projected impact on the farm business. This paper provides a first attempt at an economic analysis of the impacts of climate change for broadacre farming systems and provides an insight...

The language of words is the most commonly used tool in person to person communication and this in turn, profoundly reflects and creates an individual’s belief systems and behaviours. In the arena of sustainable production systems for food and fibre and the ‘management’ of...