Perspectives of farm management economics

Abstract

Traditional objects of farm management research and farm management science are farms and farm households. In the course of time new objects have been added, for example different forms of horizontal and vertical co-operation, commerce and manufacturing enterprises in the field of agriculture, partly supplying, and service industries in agriculture. Corresponding to that, there are numerous addressees: relevant academics, students, farmers and their consultants, agricultural experts, also increasingly employees in agribusiness, agricultural societies and administrations, partly also jurisdiction, agrarian politicians, and finally the public. There is a large variety of topics concerning farm management research and science. Important traditional topics with varying focuses are: description of forms of enterprises, operations research and analysis, co-operate planning, appraisal, site assessment, use of electronic media, analysis of new technologies and their results, and finally the individual farm analysis of agrarian policy measures. Recent topics are in particular: economic research on organic farming, farm economic questions in connection with biotechnology and genetic engineering, farm economic controlling, internal procuring and marketing policy, business relations, analysis of international competitiveness of farm businesses as well as enterprises in agribusiness, farm environmental economy, and economic examinations of agricultural institutions. As far as organisation is concerned, farm management economics should stay in future within agricultural faculties. Farm management economics should not be classified as part of business economics and should not be integrated in business science faculties. Due to the large field of topics, farm management economics should have two professorships per faculty. Besides, a basic level of science has to be passed at any agricultural university. Above that, varied priority programs on special fields should be offered as it is currently the case.