Farm management handbook

[Davy McCracken]

The latest edition of the Farm Advisory Service Farm Management Handbook is available to view and download for free
https://www.fas.scot/publication/farm-management-handbook-2018-2019/

 

[Sharpy]

Thank you.

 

[Gone Shooting]

Cool - no 2 son just started Reaseheath - will be a good ref. for him - how does it compare to the John Nix ?

 

[Clive]

my god where on earth do they make up numbers like that !!

Thank god its a mile from reality or we would all be bust !


Is this really used by anyone for reference ?

 

[Davy McCracken]

Probably similar range of content. But I'm not that familiar with John Nix pocketbook

 

[yellow belly]

my god where on earth do they make up numbers like that !!

Thank god its a mile from reality or we would all be bust !


Is this really used by anyone for reference ?

Always found coatings books are just for reference if you have no data
Lecturer at college brought out his ADAS book on chem prices in 1981saying the price of ipu was £30an acre We had paid under £20 it was the year a few farmers imported a truck load and crashed the market
The principles of cash flow and full farm budgeting are the same always get your own figures if possible prices on here are closer

 

[Clive]

Always found coatings books are gust for reference if you have no data
The principles of cash flow and full farm budgeting are the same

it's utterly miles out from reality though so how can it be any use at all ? - you might as well just make the numbers up !

 

[Sharpy]

it's utterly miles out from reality though so how can it be any use at all ? - you might as well just make the numbers up !

Well put the figures in the book that you say are miles out versus your own figures which you know to be correct on here for puplic scrutiny and discussion. Didn't know you had a Scottish operation though.

 

[An Gof]

my god where on earth do they make up numbers like that !!

Thank god its a mile from reality or we would all be bust !


Is this really used by anyone for reference ?

The Scottish Farm Management Book is, in my opinion, an excellent reference source. It is much more detailed than the John Nix Pocketbook and includes a wider range of enterprises and systems.
The basis for the coatings are very transparent and you can adjust the figures for your own situation if you wish. Obviously when you farm in Cornwall there will even be some differences from figures based on Scottish conditions. I expect there will even be differences for those farming slightly closer, say Staffordshire

For £25 it’s great value for money and with a free download to the computer I can’t see what’s not to like

 

[Clive]

The Scottish Farm Management Book is, in my opinion, an excellent reference source. It is much more detailed than the John Nix Pocketbook and includes a wider range of enterprises and systems.
The basis for the coatings are very transparent and you can adjust the figures for your own situation if you wish. Obviously when you farm in Cornwall there will even be some differences from figures based on Scottish conditions. I expect there will even be differences for those farming slightly closer, say Staffordshire

For £25 it’s great value for money and with a free download to the computer I can’t see what’s not to like

i didn't realise it was Scotland specific - however if it is Im blooming glad i'm not a Scottish arable farmers that's for sure !

 

[Cowabunga]

The Scottish Farm Management Book is, in my opinion, an excellent reference source. It is much more detailed than the John Nix Pocketbook and includes a wider range of enterprises and systems.
The basis for the coatings are very transparent and you can adjust the figures for your own situation if you wish. Obviously when you farm in Cornwall there will even be some differences from figures based on Scottish conditions. I expect there will even be differences for those farming slightly closer, say Staffordshire

For £25 it’s great value for money and with a free download to the computer I can’t see what’s not to like

I can't see a way to download it as a PDF 'Acrobat' file with searchable links from the index to topics, pages and chapters.

 

[Cowabunga]

i didn't realise it was Scotland specific - however if it is Im blooming glad i'm not a Scottish arable farmers that's for sure !

I think it used to be called the SAC Farm Management Pocketbook. I've still got some editions around here somewhere.
SAC standing for Scottish Agricultural College, based mainly at Auchincruive. The whole shebang seems to have been 'reorganised' around 2013 and last I heard there was a biotech company established on at least part of the Auchincruive Estate property.

 

[Frodo2]

i didn't realise it was Scotland specific - however if it is Im blooming glad i'm not a Scottish arable farmers that's for sure !

Obviously sale prices have fluctuated more than anyone would have expected although many will have wheat sales averaging less than 165/acre.

Most costings give a low yield, an average ( which is pretty close to the published Scottish average) and a dream on figure, which let's you choose for your situation.

Yes your own historic data will be better, but definitely a useful resource.

 

[Clive]

The one that stood out to me was the stubble to stubble cost for wheat. More than double what I would suggest is possible

 

[Sharpy]

The one that stood out to me was the stubble to stubble cost for wheat. More than double what I would suggest is possible

Then put the figures up here with your suggestions as to where the differences are.

 

[Clive]

Then put the figures up here with your suggestions as to where the differences are.

commercially sensitive information that !

but its a LOT less

 

[Sharpy]

commercially sensitive information that !

but its a LOT less

Fair enough, but I am pretty sure that the figures are obtained from an across the board selection of farm accounts, we certainly used to allow ours to be used (suckler cows/calves), and IF all the better operators have your attitude then the figures will be distorted.
Although you do sound a bit like the man in the pub going "see that Mike Tyson, I could beat him no problem " with no evidence whatsoever. Just saying.

 

[Clive]

Fair enough, but I am pretty sure that the figures are obtained from an across the board selection of farm accounts, we certainly used to allow ours to be used (suckler cows/calves), and IF all the better operators have your attitude then the figures will be distorted.
Although you do sound a bit like the man in the pub going "see that Mike Tyson, I could beat him no problem " with no evidence whatsoever. Just saying.

the evidence around here would be that there would be a long line of contractors willing to do s2s arable at say £150/ac and i don't expect they are loosing money at that even if not as efficient as they could be

I would love to share my costs and in confidence with consultants, accountants, benchmarking and surveys I often do so .......... but to share them with those who I compete with commercially on the internet would be a rather silly thing to do !

 

[Clive]

However as I said earlier I didn't realise when I first posted that these figures were specific to Scotland where Im sure costs are significantly higher due to weather windows and remote location etc

 

[Kam]

I can't see a way to download it as a PDF 'Acrobat' file with searchable links from the index to topics, pages and chapters.

Click the link, view the page then right click then save as