Big Rises In Farm Income In Australia

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31256, 31 December 1966, Page 9

Big Rises In Farm Income In Australia

Speaking to the New South Wales branch of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science recently, Mr H. Hassall, a Goulburn farm-manage-ment consultant, said that he had budgeted with 24 farmers in his district to increase net farm income by an average of 240 per cent in five years. Some, he said, had achieved this improvement within two years.

“Some people find it hard to believe that these increases are possible,” he added. “But even with the drought we were able to keep to the programme of increasing farm income.” Mr Hassall said that the number of farm-management dubs and consultants in Australia had expanded rapidly in the last six years.

In 1960 Western Australia had four clubs and no consultants, and other states four dubs and two consultants. In 1965 Western Australia had 48 clubs and five consultants and other states had 34 clubs and 24 consultants (mostly in New South Wales and Victoria).

In New South Wales, Mr Hassall said, the swing was towards private consultants who had their own practice with clients whom they visited as required. “I believe that within three or. four years farm-management clubs will cease to exist in the eastern states and consultants will do all the work.” , There was also evidence that fanners now preferred to hire management and economics specialists rather than agronomists, as had been the case in the past.