Horti-Business Management (2+0)

Scope of Farm Management

The subject of farm management includes farm management research, teaching and extension.
(a) Farm Management Research

• There are several issues for consideration of farm management research.
• Sustainability: Farm has to earn profits during the short term and the long term. Hence there is greater attention on devising methods for ensuring sustainable farm profits.
• Farm mechanization: Labor shortages are likely increasing in future. Hence research focus is on identifying activities in the farm which could be mechanized and developing farm machineries that suit India’s predominantly small and marginal farms.
• Managing risk and uncertainty: Research is undertaken to arrive at optimum enterprise combinations that would minimize risk and maximize profits.
• Farm planning: Resources at the farm are limited. Some of them are purchased, hired or available in the farm. Farm plans have to be prepared considering the limited resources, range of crop and allied activities that could be undertaken, technologies that could be implemented and mainly the market requirements. Several planning tools are available to prepare farm plans considering integrated farming systems.
(b) Farm Management Education

• The major focus of Farm management education is to equip students with knowledge and skills required for being an efficient farm manager. This includes preparation of farm resources inventory and farm layout, understanding market needs, farm planning and budgeting, resource mobilization, implementation of farm plans, monitoring and control. The students are trained to analyze the alternatives and decide the course of action. Micro-economics principles, natural and human resource management, financial management and accounting, are covered in farm management.
(c) Farm Management Extension

• Various methods of technology transfer are the main focus of farm management extension. Traditionally, farm management extension has concentrated on integrated farming system and use of improved varieties and technologies to maximize productivity. Now a days, in addition to these, the emphasis is on market oriented agriculture, post harvest management and farm level processing, maintaining food safety and quality standard at farm level to facilitate exports, organic farming, group farming (farmers commodity groups - collective decision making) and protected horticulture.