FUTURE FARMS IN THE MALLEE

The Department of Primary Industries Victoria (DPI VIC) is trying to predict the future features of irrigated horticulture in the north-west region of the State of Victoria in order to identify extension and adoption processes to help irrigators in the region to sustainable produce more with less water. Based on focus group exercises, semi-structured interviews about the future were held with industry-endorsed early adopters/innovators to help identify farm context, gaps in skills, as well as extension and adoption methods. Several findings emerged from the semi-structured interviews.
All early adopters/innovators had similar historical backgrounds and voiced the same likes and dislikes about being a horticulturalist.
Markets and their lack of predictability as well as labour inputs drove the decision-making process in all interviewed horticultural sectors.
Not surprisingly, future trends seemed to be crop specific, with the need to diversify and reduce labour clearly identified by all.
Corporate farming systems were seen by most as having easier access and/or lower cost of capital than family farms.
These findings and earlier focus group exercises led to a number of trends and some response strategies, which are discussed.

V International Symposium on Irrigation of Horticultural Crops

J. Treeby, K.J. Sommer

farm context, semi-structured interviews, motivators/inhibitors, historical trends, decision making, future trends, gap analysis

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.792.82