22 January 2001 What skills are important down on the farm? - Lincoln survey coming farmers' way soon

The rural letterbox is the starting point for a national survey by Lincoln University on what farmers think are the important decision-making and planning skills needed for the successful operation of properties.

Survey forms will be mailed out in February to 2300 farmers representing a range of farm types and sizes throughout the country and recipients will be asked to rank the attributes they consider important in a range of categories.

The results will be used to decide what type of training packages for farmers should be developed by Lincoln University.

"A survey is an essential first step in order to find out what farmers regard as important," says Associate Professor Peter Nuthall of the Management Systems Research Unit at Lincoln University.

"Our nation's resources are of little use unless managed correctly. The key to a prosperous future is having farmers make the correct decisions for the outcomes they want.

"Some are very good at this, others not quite so good. Profit surveys show a big range of returns per hectare, even on the same soil and under the same climate situation.

"Good planning, sound decision-making and skilled people are essential to the nation's wealth and the prosperity of individual families.

"The participating farmers have been randomly selected and it would be appreciated if those receiving a questionnaire fill it out and return it in reasonable time," says Associate Professor Nuthall.

"General information about each owner's or manager's farm and his or her attributes is also being asked as it is important in the development of good training systems to relate skill requirements to farm and farmer specifics.

"Answering the questions should take about 15-20 minutes and the survey overall will be much more valuable if as many people as possible reply. All the data from the survey will be treated with total confidentiality and only non­identifiable averages will be published."

Members of the New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management have been asked similar questions. This group has most of the country's farm and horticultural consultants as members along with representatives of many other groups including rural lenders.

The survey will also ask farmers to indicate whether a computer is used on their property, and if so what it is used for as a business tool.

"This computer information is important to the developers of internet services and management support systems," says Professor Nuthall, "because currently the Government and farmers are casting their eyes on the 'digital divide' - the difference between rural and city access to the 'knowledge economy'. Data from the survey will help in addressing this issue."

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.