Zambia Agribusiness Society - ZAS Farm Management Handbook - Crop Production

Farm management data and information related to the performance of a cropping or livestock production system in the form of input-output ratios, costs, returns and profitability are needed by a wide variety of users. This group includes policy planners, advisors and extension agents, researchers, teachers, students, credit and input supply agencies and farmers. The policy planner, for instance, has to take into aCCOl'nt the likely farm level impact of a new policy or a proposed adjustment to an existing one. Similarly, researchers and extension agents engaged in Farming System Research (FSR) work and studies depend on the farm management type of information for several purposes such as: (a) evaluation of interventions to the existing systerds of production; (b) identification of the potential for financially ;'ewardi'lg innovations; (c) ordering of research priorities as well as exploration of further avenues for development; and, (d) comparison of the economic performance of alternative cropping and livestock systems.