208-268 Farm Management II

At the end of the course students should be able to:

• understand the strategic management process and its application to farming;

• develop a strategic business plan to improve the productivity and profitability for a farm or rural business giving due consideration to enterprise selection, business risk and changing business environment; and

• complete a comprehensive financial analysis of plan; interpret and critically analyse the project's results, draw rational conclusions and identify key success factors.

Students will undertake a number of case studies to develop strategic management skills before undertaking a project of significant size which exhibits original investigation, analysis and interpretation and which results in the production of a well-written and presented report.

One 2.5-hour written examination worth 40% of final marks, two assignments equivalent to 3000 words and worth 30% of final marks each.

• Coulthard, Howell and Clarke, Business Planning - The Keys to Success. MacMillan Education Australia Pty Ltd, South Melbourne, 1996.
• Makenham and Malcolm, The Farming Game Now. Cambridge Press, 1993.