Recording and Planning Farm-Management Tasks

Farm management tasks occupy a central position on farms. The data available in this area for planning purposes, however, corresponds neither quantitatively nor qualitatively to the importance of these tasks. Using the example of dairy farming, Reliable reliable planning datae are was developed using the example of dairy farmingfor these tasks. This study is based both onBesides the actual numerical data itself the study is basedand on the development of a systematic breakdown classification and a new methodical approach for data recording. These allow t. The special characteristics of farm- management tasks can to be taken into account and a differentiated data recording for the individual farm can be allowedto be made. The raw data filed in databases forms the basis for calculating the working-time requirement in a calculation model, which also constitutes the base basis to integratefor incorporating farm- management tasks intoto the new work budget..Seventy-one71 dairy farms in the different regions of Switzerland as well as in Baden-Württemberg in Germany were chosen for the date data recording. The average herd size of the farms studied was 36 cows (minimum: 7 cows, maximum: 140 cows). Depending on the herd size, the working-time requirement for farm management is between 8,.3 and 37,.6 MPh per cow and year. For tThe absolute values, there is a range of between 263 and 1,281 MPh per herd and year. The percentage of the overall working-time requirement taken up by farm- management tasks fluctuates between 13 and 24 %.