CAPÍTULO 4. RESULTADOS
4.2 Análisis de patrones en una competencia “construyendo la torre más alta”
iation which are increasing the productivity of their farms , can do so with
the knowledge that they will be able to secure quotas .
CHAPTER III
GENERAL REFEHENCE TO HETHODS OF
RESOURCE
USE AND FACTORS INFLUENCING THE
IR USEThe l ocal factors of climate , topo graphy and economic c onditions whic h affect the town milk producer have been discus sed
in
the preceding chap ter. These factors are common to all farms , but their affects on farm management and the ways in which they are used to combine with available resources of land, labour, capital and management vary with individual farms . The folloHing section discus ses in a general v.ray the major resources available,how they vary, and possible explanations behind the reasons for variation in
their use .
AVAILABL£ RESOURCES
is the main limiting resource
in
determin:i.ng the si ze ofa farm. It fixes the boundarie s of the farm organi zation . It detentines whether a farmer i s a part time occupier, a share milker, a renter, an
indebted owner or a debt free owner. Farmers actions depend on the amount of capital behind them. A farmer v.Ti th a shortage o f capital usually invests his income in thos e things which ;.Till give a more spee
d
y return such asstock manure , reseeding, draining etc . The wisdom of making an investment does not depend upon whether it pays , but whether it pays best. Such a
farmer al so is willing to substitute labour for captial in that the opport-
unity to work is offered with the cost associated with such c apital items as a return. A farmer with unlimited c apital , on the other hand, tends to invest in more long range investments , such as permanent buildings , roads , etc . , which have little immediate connection with returns . His thoughts are not entirely on whether it will pay at all or give other forms of
-44-
Land varies in physical character, in the climate it enjoys, in the amounts of available soil nutrients , in supply and location. For these reasons , land varies in its capacity*, in that some can use more fertiliser and other inputs to better advantage than other areas of land that might have a relative high capacity for using fertiliser but yet be poor at utilizing irrigation water. It is these varying capacities , v-rhich cause varying productivity to a unit of land.
Labour available �aries on individual farms , one operator may have a large family labour group , which furnishes inexpensive labour, while another might have no family help. Capital and labour are in general interchangeable .
I f a shortage of labour occurs an d there is ample capital, i t can substitute for labour by purchasing labour saving machinery or hiring contractors. But if there is a shortage of both labour and capital or if after using capital to the limit; and there is still a shortage of labour, all that can be done
is to use the available labour where it will do the most good and some work
will not be accomplished.
Some farmers are also better managers of labour than others , this arises
through their ability to use labour efficiently, by having the farm well planne d, the work load well organized, and by giving certain incentives to
the labour force. The factor of age and capacity of the farmer an
d/
or his workers also enter into the farms labour situation.REASONS BEHIND RESOURCE USE
Though economic principles are of great importance , farms do
not
always follow them inmaking
decisions. The decisions regarding resource*Capacity
is definedas
theability
to combine with other inputs.-45-
use are largely deternti.ned by the goals of the farm unit. These goal s are not only determined by the farmer; but also by the obj ectives of the farm family. The objectives of the farm unit are a function of such soc i al
and economic variable s as age, family composition, education level , stage in the family cycle , and social and economic status . Because of these factors , the goal s o f the farm unit may vary. lf.Lth one it i s to obtain wealth, another a comfortable living and still another a reputation as a
successful farmer. Their aims are not always the same over the years and often c han?e with age, degree of success and other dynamic actions which influence the situation.
In general, however , the farm management has tHo over all goal s :
(
a)
to push profits to a level consi stent wi th the capital resources of the farm operator and(
b)
to relate choices in the farm business �dth the needs and wishes of the family. With this latter goal , the needs and wants of the farm family are competing 1dth the farm in the allocation of returns . As for example , a farmer may want to invest in draining one of hi s paddo c ks whi ch wilJ inc rease profits , but his wife wants a new freezer whichwill
add in family satis faction . Thes e points are all considered when deci sions of capital allocation are made .Other factors involved in decisions regarding resource use are those
of human nature , such as preference and prejudice of the.farm operator and
family, and their concepts and values they hold on what is important . They
may be satisfied with the way the farm is being run and do not want to adopt
changes in farm practices that would increase the farms income . They may
-46-
such as breed of stock; i . e . they prefer Jersey cows
to
Fresians , although milk is being sold on a gallonage basis . Although these factors may seem trifle , they do however, influence decisions .Variations in decisions are also c aused by individual farmers having various capacities and efficiencies as farm operators . The wide vari ation one finds may result from differences in natural abili ty, from training experience and the actual effort a farmer desires to apnly.
Decisions al so have their uncertainty aspects caused by lack of knowledge . In particular this i s caused by imperfect knowledge of the future . Farmers respond differently to uncertainty in their deci sion making. Two categories repre senting extremes can be quotedto illus trate this point . nrstly, there are tho se vJho are conservative and require
almost complete knowl edge of a situation before making a decision. Secondly, there are willing risk takers who are prepared to make decisions 1-Ji th
incomplete knmvledge of the situation . The amount of risk a manage r is wi l J ing to take depends upon such factors as the amount of assets he has
to lose, the status of hi s family; his age ; society in which he live s ; the affect of possible gains or losses upon his social position ; and his love of adventure .
As has been shown, each farm is a complex organization vdth definite individuality. It is a unique and individual unit because available resources
vary in quality and quantity and in the way they are combined. The way in which resources are used and combined by the individual farmer varie s with the goals of the farm family as a unit, the socialogical factors and their
-47-
elements . Since each farm i s unique , a programme that is best for one i s seldom b e s t for another . In studying the methods and plans adopted by town milk farms in the Palmerston North milk shed, it was decided to study in detail the reasons underlying their adoption on a limited nuraber o f case farms .