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Despite the wealth of information freely available via a range of media, farmers lack both confidence and many of the capabilities to develop their own written strategic business plans. The fact that most farmers do not have a formal strategic plan for their business is testimony to this. Information per se is unlikely to be constraining individuals in completing this task since it is widely available and has been promulgated by the extension agencies in the past. This suggests that the 'one-way' approach to technology transfer is inappropriate for developing business management capabilities amongst the farming community. Our aim was to test the effectiveness of a participatory workshop on farm business management to help individuals build and apply new knowledge and skills in strategic management, specifically planning and control. The workshop was designed to allow participants to develop their knowledge and skills by writing their own farm strategy. Adult learning principles were utilised in the workshop design. Participants were able to integrate and apply their existing knowledge and experience within a conceptual framework. The workshop exceeded the expectations of all of the participants. They gained greater confidence to plan for the future and in their own ability to learn.

Gender disparity in household decision-making is a common phenomenon in developing countries. It is influenced by ethnicity, culture and geographical location. Household decision-making processes were examined in rural Nepal with a primary focus on gender roles in the context of three distinct ethnic communities (Brahmin/Chhetri, Gurung and Tharu) in the Chitwan district. A combination of participatory rural appraisal (n=6), gender analysis (n=6), key informant interviews (n=14) and a household socio-economic survey (n=123) were used to collect data. At the household level men and women were interviewed separately. The involvement of women in economic activities was quite high but differed substantially between the ethnic groups and by type of household economic activity. Proportionately fewer Brahmin/Chhetri women were engaged in livestock husbandry compared to the other two ethnic groups. Men and women jointly decided the allocation of family labour to on-farm and marketing activities, but there was a large variation across the ethnic groups (eg. 43% in Gurung vs. 90% in Tharu communities). Women were more involved in household management and family well-being related activities than men in all three ethnic groups, with the highest participation rates occurring amongst the Tharu women. The study supports the argument that poverty alleviation strategies and projects to improve rural well-being should be sensitive to gender roles and ethnicity.

Stagnant agricultural productivity and low returns in farming have led rural residents in Nepal to look elsewhere for alternative or supplemental income opportunities, primarily though off-farm employment. Off-farm employment provides supplemental income to support household expenditure. This study examined the contribution of off-farm employment to total household income for two ecologically distinct districts of Eastern Nepal and identified factors differentiating households with on-farm, off-farm and, both on-and off-farm labour. Variables that differentiated wage labour, skilled labour and trade employment were determined. Participatory rural appraisal workshops (n=6), key informant interviews (n=9) and household socio-economic surveys (n=150) were used to gather data. The lacks of productive land, increased household sizes and higher educational attainment of household members were all positively associated with off-farm employment. There were fewer employment opportunities in locations away from major market centres and for women and disadvantaged groups. The Brahmin/Chhetri/Newar ethnic group dominated most of the off-farm employment opportunities. The study suggests that policy intervention measures such as the provision of irrigation and skill-based training would improve the well-being of rural women, disadvantaged people sub-groups and those located away from major employment centres. Market linkages are also an important factor in increasing off-farm employment opportunities and thus household income.

The cost-price squeeze in dairy farming has forced farmers to become more competitive in the market place. This has primarily occurred through increased herd size and productivity gains associated with labour-saving technology. The cost and revenue structures and changes in the contribution of key dairy production inputs to total cash expenditure and farm income over the 1972/73-1996/97 period were analysed. Data were taken from the annual publications of the Livestock Improvement Corporation and the New Zealand Dairy Board. Implications for the future growth of dairy farms and the industry are drawn from the analysis.

Sharemilking is an integral and important part of the New Zealand dairy industry. Historically, it has provided a realistic pathway for highly motivated young people to enter dairy farming and attain farm ownership. However, the system has been under pressure in recent years because of sharply increased land prices, the need to purchase shares in the local dairy company and declining real returns for milksolids. To confirm these concerns a study was undertaken to identify the determinants of sharem Ikers attaining farm ownership, using the mail survey responses of 100 sharemilkers in the Manawatu region. Six logistic regression models were estimated and the likelihood and odd-ratios of attaining farm ownership were explained. Variables positively associated with farm ownership were availability of equity, age, working on a family far (short-term), and access to off-farm employment for the sharemilker's partner within a reasonable distance of the property. The survey responses indicated that an average of 4% of sharemilkers annually will attain farm ownership in the study region, although 67% of sharemilkers aspired to this goal. Progression to farm ownership from sharemilking will continue to become more difficult, with potential negative consequences to the dairy industry in the long-term, unless proactive industry strategies to assist sharemilkers accumulate equity and experience are adopted.