The Influence of Social Factors on the Future Performance of the Primary Production Sectors: Appendix I

Appendix I - Precis of Ten Minor Papers Reviewed

Appendix I - Precis of Ten Minor Papers Reviewed

S1 Impacts of Land Use Change in Wairoa District

Published April 1997

This study focuses on the impact of land use change from hill country pastoral farming, to plantation forestry in the Wairoa District, and area unemployment and household income.

The area studied comprises steep to very steep hill country. It includes 443 farms with an average size of 588 hectares. The Wairoa District has become an increasingly attractive area for investment in forestry. The prediction is there will be a significant increase in the area planted into forests over the next 15 to 20 years, and there will be also a reduction in the amount of livestock carried as a result of some of the area being taken out of current pastoral use. There are local concerns about access to services. Forest interest raised farm sale prices. Modelling indicates many concerns not expected to arise in practice but need to plan to "capture" benefits locally, especially local employment. Need to "gear up" small business capacity to service forestry.

S2 Issues of New Zealand Farm Succession

A study of the inter generational transfer of the farm business. Published June 1998

The study considers the transfer of assets between generations of family members, the ways in which decisions are made for this transfer, the level of family consultation that goes on during the process. It also identifies that stress occurs within the process, and looks at the entry of succeeding generations into positions of management.

Information for this study was obtained from 60 farm families in the process of succession in North Otago, South Canterbury and the Manawatu/Wairarapa areas.

Succession is a process whereby traditions, skills and capital of farming are passed onto the next generation. It is the continuation of this process which will have an important impact on the viability of farming businesses in New Zealand. The report does not provide a blue-print for this continuation, but does stress the need to make farming families aware early of the requirement to consider succession rather than leaving it too late.

S2a Farm Succession, Viability and Retirement

Published November 1993

The report presents an in depth case study of 10 families from the North Canterbury area who are in, or have been, through the process of transferring the farm property from one generation to another.

The study shows that an estimated 4 out of the 10 farms had marginal viability after succession. It also shows that maintaining the farm in the family was not seen as the only priority. Farmers referred to other priorities such as preserving the estate, minimising disruption in the family, continuing a traditional family occupation, passing on the means to earn a living, and that a son succeeding to the farm would give the father's career more purpose.

S3 Entrepreneurship in New Zealand Farming: Summary of Findings and Policy Implications

A study of farms with alternative enterprises, June 1997

This study set out to examine the significance of alternative enterprises to the farm and family business, including aspects such as finance, the individuals involved, the structure of alternative enterprises, the impact on the farm and family, and the relationship with the other enterprises on the farm.

The study had three main components: scoping the main field research; the analysis; and final report preparation. Included in the scoping part of the study were eight interviews with proprietors in the Ashburton district. In the main field research component, 60 farmers were interviewed from the Ashburton, North Canterbury and Manawatu/Wairarapa areas.

The reasons for establishing alternative enterprises were often personal, such as a challenge, or a particular desire to undertake a certain enterprise. The results indicate that most of the benefits come in terms of direct or indirect income to the farming business.

S3a Entrepreneurship in New Zealand Farming: A Study of Farms with Alternative Enterprises

A study of alternative enterprises on farms, March 1988

This study provides details of the information obtained from the field research component of study S3b referred to above. Sixty farms in the Ashburton, North Canterbury and Manawatu/Wairarapa areas provided information for the study.

The research establishes links between farm viability and family income in the context of sustainable agriculture. As there is a strong relationship between farm viability and sustainable agriculture, the importance of alternative enterprise farm income becomes very apparent. To assist the development of alternative enterprises there was a call by farmers, to government and local government, for the development of user friendly guides and data to assist them develop different enterprises.

S4 Unpaid Farm Work

A scoping study, November 1997.

As a first stage to this report a literature review was commissioned and undertaken by social scientists with an interest in issues related to unpaid work. The literature review was followed by a scoping study which explored more fully the issues in the literature. It provides a picture of the labour input into the family farm business. It explores relationships between farm family members and the extended family, and how the involvement of an extended family through un-waged work contribute to farm viability and sustainability in social as well as economic terms. The study interviewed 26 farmers in the Mid and North Canterbury and Ashburton areas whose average farm size was 307 hectares.

As there are now few full- or part-time paid non-family employees on the farms, the farm household has become the primary source of labour on family farms, so the future viability and sustainability of farms has become completely reliant on the farm family units.

S5 Constraints to Farm Level Adoption of New Sustainable Technologies and Management Practices in New Zealand Pastoral Agriculture

February 1998

The primary focus of the research was to identify and analyse constraints faced by New Zealand farmers in adopting new technologies and management practices to attain the goal of sustainable agricultural production. The findings from this study provide an understanding of the environment in which New Zealand farmers operate, and a basis upon which guidelines and policies can be developed by institutions for prioritising agricultural research and technology transfer programmes.

The study was conducted in three sections titled Forum, Rapid Rural Appraisal and the National Mail Survey. The Forum section comprised a meeting of 15 farmers and 15 scientists and policy agents. The Rapid Rural Appraisal section comprised discussions with two dairy farm discussion groups in the Manawatu area, and a National Mail Survey, which involved sending mail survey questionnaires to two thousand farmers of which 316, or 23%, were eventually used for inclusion in this report.

The results indicate that farmers' prime concern was long term profitability and economic viability. Many farmers indicated that they face a significant financial constraint, and that mechanisms to improve market returns, and provide more accurate information to direct investment decisions for production are required if farmers are to adopt more environmentally friendly practices. In response to a question regarding farmers' prediction about themselves being in farming by the year 2006, 10% of small hobby farmers felt that they would not be farming at that time compared to 12% from the larger farmers. Their response reflected a pessimistic outlook for farm returns. However, almost all dairy farmers expected to be still farming in 2006. There is a significant amount of data in this report which can be used in other contexts.

S6 East Coast North Island Sustainability Issues

Published March 1997

The reason for this study was to determine the views of European and Maori farmers of sustainability; their understanding of sustainability; and their actions, plans, and constraints to sustainability. The project also explored differences, if any, between Maori and European views on sustainability.

A total of 49 farmers were contacted, 26 European and 23 Maori from the Gisborne and Wairoa areas. They were mainly sheep and beef hill country properties with an average pastoral area of 1,052 hectares. The farmers were surveyed by questionnaire and personal interviews.

Maori and Europeans both consider that insufficient income was a major threat to the quality of their life and their farming operations. Even so, 70% consider their financial viability was similar or better than the average New Zealand farm. They believe economic and physical sustainability were very closely linked, and any central and local government policies and programmes on sustainability, should take account of this.

S7 Family Dynamics Among Urban to Rural Migrants

Published June 1998

The purpose for the research is a further analysis of data collected by the Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit focusing on migration. There has been an increase in the movement of low income and beneficiary households from urban areas to peripheral towns in the rural areas, as a result of the programme of social policy reforms introduced from 1991 onwards. The research is based on a series of surveys. These involved visiting all households in selected towns in a given region, and asking people whether they had moved from an urban area since 1985. The survey field work on this project has been carried out for 7,790 households situated in the southern Wairarapa, northern Waikato, Coromandel and the West Coast and north of Christchurch. There is a general agreement that there were advantages living in the rural areas compared to urban in spite of the fact that there appeared to be a fall in income as a result of moving from the urban to rural environment. The report does not make any reference to farm viability or productivity issues.

S8 From Subsidies to Diversity

New Zealand's experience of agricultural reform - February 1996

The main objective of this study is to describe the different new initiatives enterprises taken by farmers. The method of analysis is based on a descriptive examination of available data rather than on modelling. The study of on-farm initiatives and enterprise included studies of deer farming, goat farming, farm forestry, alpaca and lama farming, ostrich and emu farming and other enterprises such as fitches, possums and rabbits and also on-farm non-agricultural initiatives and enterprises.

The most successful enterprises at the time appear to be forestry and deer and it remained to be seen whether some of the other initiatives such as ostriches and emus would become significant industries in New Zealand. There is no commentary on the future potential impact of these new enterprises on New Zealand agriculture, except that it does appear that forestry will continue to expand and take an increasing share of land from livestock enterprises.

S9 Clutha Valley State of Well Being and its Effects on Farming Sustainability

September 1997

The object of this study is to assess the social well-being of the Clutha Valley and the way this has and will impact on farming sustainability. The object of this study is to make local government and government better informed about the rural community issues, and to enable them to assist the community to improve its development and also its agricultural sustainability.

The study area is the Clutha Valley comprising 54,000 hectares with 217 households and 127 farms whose main production is from sheep and beef pastoral enterprises with also dairying, deer and other animals.

Farm families said they were less happy then than they were ten years previously, and they were also under more stress than they were ten years ago. People are working longer hours and there is less permanent labour and more unpaid family labour. These sorts of comments obviously have implications for the long term viability of the farming enterprises and the type of production which might come from these.

S10 Social Dimensions Affecting the Development of Organic Agriculture

February 1998

NB: This was an additional study selected for inclusion by the review project authors.

A study explores two important factors influencing the adoption of organic farming practices, namely how producers access knowledge of organic matters, and how the gender of participants affects the experience of organic farming and industry participation.

The study was conducted in the Canterbury region and producers, educators, facilitators and certification agency people were interviewed. Focus group meetings were also held to obtain information about the industry.

There were no comments made about the future expansion of the industry but it does seem likely organic agricultural production will increase in New Zealand, and this may change production levels for those commodities produced.

	© MAF 2000
MAFnet Help	Last updated: 28-Nov-2002	Important Disclaimer

Contact for Enquiries

Rural Affairs Coordinator
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND

Phone: +64 4 894 0675
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0745
Contact this person