Course Units – Agriculture

Introduction to the key fundamentals of whole farm production systems. You will learn to systematically identify and rate key resources, understand the fundamentals affecting agricultural enterprises; introduction to livestock physiology & nutrition; principles of agricultural engineering; and, pasture-based systems.

• Agriculture fundamentals
• Farm profile and resource analysis
• Livestock physiology and nutrition
• Principles of agricultural engineering
• Pasture production systems

This unit develops your knowledge to effectively collect and record financial data for farm businesses. You will understand accounting principles as they apply to farming, and producing fundamental reports, such as income statements and statements of financial position

• Cash accounting
• Cash control
• GST
• Introduction to financial statements
•  Agricultural accounting

This is a multi-discipline unit which is broken up in topics to cover the many areas which support farm management.  You will understand the environments in which farm businesses operate and the fundamental business tools that provide the basis for business management.

• Principles of supply and demand
• Principles of marketing
• Introduction to business software
• Principles of business spreadsheets
• Writing for business

Wellbeing strategies are critical to the successful operation of a sustainable farm enterprise. You will be introduced to the concept of systems thinking and be exposed to real-world examples of how a business decision in one area affects other aspects of the operation. This unit includes a 5-day domestic study tour.

• Health & resilience
• Farm planning simulation (The Farm Game)
• Professional writing & reporting for business
• Domestic study tour

You will gain an understanding and be able to apply the basic principles of animal production relating to ruminant nutrition, reproductive physiology and management. You will understand soil structure and fertility in the context of crop production and pastures. You will develop an understanding of the efficacy and efficiency of energy use systems in farm operations.

• Livestock reproduction and technology
• Soils and fertilisers
• Crop production
• Pasture production and management
• Agricultural power units and pumps

During this unit you will use your understanding of production systems to build a budget that reflects the proposed production activity. You will develop an understanding of the key drivers of profitability and how they affect the preparation of a budget. You will use your production knowledge and budgeting to prepare a bank finance proposal

• Gross margin analysis
• Livestock schedules
• Cash flow budgeting
• Sensitivity analysis
• Finance proposals

Building on previous units, this unit will give you a wider understanding of the environment that a business operates within, exploring issues of competitor behaviour, environmental scanning, market value chain for food and fibre industries, and understanding behaviour of people managing in these environments.

• External analysis
• Marketing and the value chain
• Conflict negotiation
• Time and stress management
• Negotiation skills

You will expand your concepts of systems thinking utilising knowledge gained from all units you have studied. You will synthesise the knowledge obtained from your studies with the experience gained from visiting a range of farm enterprises to develop a comprehensive understanding of the performance of a property, chosen for the case study.  This unit includes an extended international study tour.

• International study tour
• Enterprise profitability case study
• Intercultural communication
• Comparative farming systems

This unit introduces decision processes in managing farm production systems, including issues of weeds, pest and diseases; feed budgeting, fodder conservation, livestock genetics & breeding. You will be able to apply the decision matrix for introducing technology, electronics and mechanisation in farm operations.

• Weeds, pests and diseases
• Feed budgeting
• Fodder conservation
• Genetics and breeding
• Electronics and mechanisation

You will develop skills to use both financial and non-financial data to analyse business performance. You will determine the value of information held and the means to discover what additional information is necessary to assess performance of a farm business enterprise

• Farm accounting & budgeting software
• Farm business analysis
• Production economics
• Financial ratio analysis

This unit focusses on developing your knowledge of industries and operational issues that are specific to agricultural businesses. You will learn to use tools that are enablers of farm business management decisions.

• Micro economics
• Occupation Health and Safety
• Managing work teams
• Business communications
• Advanced spreadsheets

This unit is delivered over an extended period. You will be able to apply theories and practices learnt in the classroom to farm businesses. This unit includes an 11-month practical placement at an approved farm business, where you can apply and reflect your insight in your assessments. You will develop your analysis and budgeting skills on a selected property.

• Budget and projections case study
• Practical placement case study I: analysis of the farm business
• Practical placement case study II: recommending change to enhance profitability of the farm business
• Approved 11-month practical placement (full time employment)

Your knowledge of a range of farming systems will be further developed to enhance your decision-making capabilities. You will explore production factors affecting management in a range of intensive and extensive enterprises, including the use of emerging technologies to capture and analyse production performance.

• Winter and summer cropping
• Meat science, production and processing
• Intensive animal systems
• Irrigation systems and methods
• Precision agriculture technologies

Using the knowledge gained in profit analysis and cash flow you will develop knowledge and tools to make investment decisions to increase value. You will evaluate investment risk and return issues and their relationship with equity.

• Farm financial management
• Discounted cash flows
• Long term decision making
• Capital management and structures
• Portfolio management

Utilising the concept of competitive advantage, you will advance your understanding of behaviours of consumers and competitors, develop research skills to help source, analyse and interpret relevant data.  You will gain an understanding of price risk management models and derivative tools.

• Strategic thinking for competitive advantage
• Research methods
• Statistical analysis
• Commodity marketing
• Options, futures and forwards

This unit is designed to reinforce the learning gained in your practical placement by exposing you to further examples of businesses that are managing complex and interconnected enterprises. You will explore different performance measures and factors limiting potential production and the issues that surround them. This unit includes a 5-day domestic study tour.

• Domestic study tour
• Applied livestock and grazing management
• Reflection of work integrated learning experience
• Assessment of genetic gain and performance

This unit requires you to understand the decision process as you develop more advanced knowledge of farming systems. You will begin to build complex decision structures around the knowledge and experience that you have gained, seeking more relevant knowledge as you enhance your decision-making skills.

• Advanced winter cropping
• Wool production and processing
• Animal health and management
• Soil resources and water management

The ownership of a farm business has an impact on how the business is structured and how capital in contributed. You will understand ownership structures, their impact on taxation and how the owner will take a dividend.

• Taxation
• Succession planning
• Business structures
• Off-farm investments

Advance your knowledge of applied economic principles as they apply to commodity price and the influence of domestic and international markets.  You will develop an understanding of factors and influences on international trade and how that relates to the farm business.

• International marketing
• International policy and trade
• Applied economics
• Global economic systems

During this unit you will have access to a particular farm where you will explore the management decisions over the course of a production cycle. This will give you opportunities to apply the principles learnt and make recommendations for tactical change.  You will integrate your learning through case study to develop a long term sustainable strategy.

• Site visits to a selected farm
• Workshop ideas and present decisions for change
• Case study – development of strategy

Your understanding of managing resources in a farm business requires that you extend your knowledge of production systems to emerging opportunities of capital investment in farming enterprises.  You will also explore contemporary issues affecting agricultural systems.

• Intensive cropping
• Animal welfare and behaviour
• Ruminant nutrition
• Farm structures and machinery decisions

This unit will examine how farm businesses operate in an environment subject to government regulation, law, consumer expectations, and risk. You will learn to adapt your decision-making processes to this complex, challenging and uncertain environment.

• Risk management
• Advanced decision making
• Farm business law
• Stochastic modelling

The single greatest influence on both developing a strategy and implementing a strategy are the people that you work with. You will synthesise the theories and practices of people management for the implementation of successful business strategy.

• Human Resource Management
• Personnel strategy and workforce planning
• Industrial relations
• Leadership and change management
• Employment law

This capstone unit is designed to bring all aspects of your experience and learning together. Within this unit you will follow Australian produced commodities as they are exported to international markets, exploring the issues of competitor, consumer and environment. Your final case study will design a growth and development strategy for a corporate agricultural business which meets the owner’s investment criteria. This unit includes an extended international study tour.

• International study tour
• Growth strategy case study
• Intercultural awareness