Stewart, J.D.2024-07-242024-07-241963-11https://hdl.handle.net/10182/17355The human problems involved in increasing agricultural production are reviewed by A. T. G. McArthur (p. 201) so that the farm management aspects can be discussed here in a much less complex atmosphere. It will be assumed that farmers want to develop their farms, and will do so, if it is technologically and financially possible, and they have the required degree of skill in management. There has been practically no research experience in New Zealand in the decision-making characteristics of farmers ; that this assumption is not an unreasonable one can therefore be only a personal view. At least until some sound research convinces otherwise, it would be unwise to accept without question the widespread view that all that is needed is to make farmers want to develop their farms and they will. The impediments to development are much more real than this. Although it is true that farm advisers are often confronted by mental resistance to ideas leading to expanded output, it is surprising how often this can be met by the removal of some technical or managerial problem which is really the basis of this resistance. For example, resistance to expanded sheep numbers, on the score of labour demands, may be met by planning and budgeting out a policy in which ewe numbers remain static, and the increasing capacity is taken up by dry sheep. The herringbone milking shed is playing a similar role in meeting similar problems on dairy farms.© NZIASConference Contribution - published