793-407 Agribusiness

On completion of this subject students will be able to demonstrate the ability to:

• understand agribusiness and its role in its widest context within Australia, using established theoretical models for assessing its performance;

• identify and analyse the nature and extent of economic and social forces on various sectors of Australian agribusiness;

• understand the role of the farmer in agribusiness as an industrial purchaser and as a supplier;

• use soft systems methodology to improve situations for an agricultural organisation; and

• use a variety of analytical and planning techniques of vertical and horizontal integration.

The content includes identification of members of the food and fibre sector, and the interrelationships which characterise agribusiness; role and magnitude of agribusiness and production agriculture; factors influencing the productivity and performance of organisations facilitating the flow of agriculture products and services; variations in price determination factors, price responses, price movement, forecasting price directions; the critical impact that marketing must play in on-farm production, including the emphasis of quality over quantity; application of soft systems to agribusiness problems; use of relevant technologies; risk management and market channel control; grades and standards; developing a strong political base; and forecasting techniques.

Prior to residential school: poster based on agribusiness model (15%); during residential school: case study on farmers as suppliers and consumers, group project on analysis and development of political base for an agribusiness organisation, trade game, group project on research and development management (35%). After residential school: an essay of 2000 words on improving agribusiness management (50%).