People - Strategies and outcomes 1986-96
Strategies and outcomes 1986-96
The trends in commodity prices described in the previous section indicate the existence of long term financial pressure upon many farm families in broadacre dryland industries. If we choose Victoria as an example, the average disposable income per farm unit gives an insight into the differing pressures in the major dryland industries. Wool producers have experienced a temporary high in incomes followed by a period of prolonged low returns. Beef producers have experienced little other than low returns. Cropping farmers have experienced improved returns in the last five years, punctuated by runs of poor seasons in the late 1980s and the droughts of 91 and 94/95. One would expect these circumstances to act as a catalyst for adjustment in these industries. In the following sections we explore some facets of the adjustment which has been precipitated by these circumstances.
Select the item below to view the map and an explanation of the attribute:
- Exiting Farming
- Entering Farming
- Net change in farmer numbers
- Net change in farm family numbers
- Net change in farm establishment numbers
- Changes in the ratio of farm families to farm establishments
- Bifurcation: Is there a disappearing middle?
- Change in farm size as measured by Estimated Value of Agricultural Production
- Changed dependence on off-farm income
- Spatial patterns of farm migration
- Relative patterns of farm migration
- Ageing of the farmer population
Further information
- "Background to the assessment of structural adjustment in agriculture"
- Report references
- "Structural change in Australian agriculture: implications for natural resource management" by Neil Barr (PDF - 1.8 MB)
- "Structural change in Australian agriculture: implications for natural resource management - APPENDICES" by Neil Barr (PDF - 4.3 MB)
- "Framework and Review of Capacity and Motivation for Change to Sustainable Management Practices" by D. Mark Fenton, Colin MacGregor and John Cary (PDF - 410 KB)
- "Social Atlas for sustainable management - a social and economic database" by John Cary, Shannon Kelson and Heather Aslin. (MS Word 302 KB)
- *"Human and social aspects capacity to change to sustainable management practices" by John Cary, Neil Barr, Heather Aslin, Trevor Webb and Shannon Kelson (PDF - 707 KB)
* This report does not contain maps and therefore needs to be read in conjunction with:
- The report on "Structural change in Australian agriculture: implications for natural resource management" by Neil Barr (download option above)
- The report on "Structural change in Australian agriculture: implications for natural resource management - APPENDICES" by Neil Barr (download option above)
- Image files for the "Social Atlas for sustainable management - a social and economic database" report by John Cary, Shannon Kelson and Heather Aslin (Zip - 7.8 MB)
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