Farm management expert shares research

Posted 4 June 2015

Watch the video on our YouTube channel.

An international farm management expert from New Zealand visited Harper Adams University recently to talk to students and share the latest research findings.

Professor Nicola Shadbolt, Chair of Farm Management at Massey University in New Zealand, spoke about the dairy industry both in terms of her country and globally. She also gave an update on current research that investigates how dairy farmers perceive risk and how this connects to their business performance.

Professor Shadbolt, who has five farming and forestry equity partnerships with her family, said: “Few people in the world research farm management, so the more you can share your research with people around the globe, the better.

“The students posed very good questions and really, my take home message is for them to consider why farmers manage how they do, their attitude to risk, and how this then connects to their performance.

“Farm business management research is really about understanding why farmers make the decisions that they do. If you can come up with statistical tools and ways to help that understanding, that’s all part of the research journey.”

Professor Shadbolt met Harper Adams Senior Lecturer in Farm Business Management, Tony Asson, during a presentation on her research in Capri.

Mr Asson said: “We were delighted to be able to host Professor Shadbolt, an international expert within the field of farm management research.

“We believe that it is important that students expand their thinking beyond just UK agriculture, and take into consideration what is happening around the globe as there is plenty that they can learn from an international perspective.

“Professor Shadbolt’s talk was extremely well received and we look forward to hearing future updates on her research.”