Waikato farmers plan for the future

Abstract

In the 1990s, a small farm was considered to be 40 hectares. With high performance and moderate debt levels these farms were thought to have a good chance of survival. This was the basis of an article by James Allen in this journal in September 1998. Future options were suggested for these farming businesses, such as increasing productivity, moving to a larger farm, diversifying or eroding equity in the business. High performance small farms today, again with moderate levels of debt, could also have a good chance of future survival. Which future business option suits a particular farmer will depend on their own situation, and some may result in better financial and non-financial result.