Farm-level Economic Modelling within a River Catchment Decision Support System

Abstract

The diverse distribution of farm categories and objectives found within specific river catchment study areas necessitates a more detailed assessment of individual farm activity than can be provided by a catchment scale economic model. This paper deals with the modelling techniques and the processes of development involved in the construction of a farm-level economic model that can be used within a multi-disciplinary decision support system. Validation procedures show the model to be relatively accurate in estimating historically observed farm activity and also that it may be used with confidence for predicting the likely reactions of farmers to different agricultural policies.