2009 Planning Guide For Farmers with Limited Finances

These guidelines have been developed to help farm businesses plan a low-cost/low risk-strategy designed to return a modest profit while maximising the chances of the business continuing. The aim is to minimise costs and risks, not maximise profit by carefully considering how much the business can afford to lose, rather than what it can potentially make. This approach will probably mean reduced profit potential, should 2009 prove to be a ‘bumper’ season, but financially constrained businesses simply can’t afford the costs and risks of a full program.

In early 2008, the ‘GRDC 2008 Planning Guide for Low-Risk Farming’ was distributed throughout south eastern Australia to help farmers work their way through a decision-making process that was intended to lead to the best possible outcomes for the 2008 cropping season.