Actual and potential computer use by a group of primary producers

Abstract

"In the rural sector, computer adoption has been significant, although not at the rate evident in the urban scene. In order to identify the level and type of computer use practised by rural businesses, especially farmers, a survey was carried out by the Kellogg Farm Management Unit at Lincoln University. The results of that survey are presented in this research report. The Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit has a continuing interest in farmer decision making, the information sources used and the aids employed in making farm business decisions. This research report provides information on the computing side of farmer decision making and provides useful insight to that process. We anticipate that publication of these research results will be of considerable interest to those in farm business management, and to those involved in providing computer hardware and software to the rural sector. We also anticipate that these research results will enable those servicing the rural sector to make more effective contributions to farmer decision making and so help to enhance the efficiency of the farm management process."