An economic study of the agriculture of the Waipa County

Abstract

New Zealand possesses a very meagre agriculture literature, and the research worker in many branches of applied agricultural science frequently finds difficulty in obtaining a proper perspective of the various management methods required for different types of farming. This lack of farm management studies of New Zealand farming is certainly a hindrance to research work in agricultural economics and has prompted the writer to attempt to supply some information on this important subject by studying the organisation of the farming industry of an Auckland County. This economic study of the agriculture of Waipa County has been undertaken more with the view of investigating the organisation of the farming industry than of attacking any special problem. The financial and economic analysis of a group of dairy farms, has, however, been carried sufficiently far to allow of the examination of some of the economic problems of the dairy industry. The main objects of the following thesis are:- (1) To trace the growth of the agriculture of Waipa County from 1840-1927 to serve as a general economic background to the study of the modern organisation of farming. (2) To describe in detail the organisation, management and co-ordination of the various farming enterprises in Waipa County and to discuss the causes responsible for their adoption. (3) To analyse the economic and financial position of a group of dairy farms and to examine some of the economic problems presented. The writer hopes that the following work will, by placing on record current agricultural practice, help in their research the economist and historian of the future.