Enhancing Decision Making Capabilities for Riverland Growers – Know Your Numbers Know Your Risks
Abstract
A new web-based program, Know Your Numbers, Know Your Risks (KY#), was developed and launched to Riverland growers on the Riverland Wine internet portal. This program supersedes other tools available to the sector, to benchmark vineyard inputs and costs, and assess economic viability of businesses. The program supports growers’ decisions on profitability for their whole farm, varieties and individual patches using a simple input process of readily available information. It delivers a meaningful, true net farm profit or loss figure, not distorted by cash flow or tax considerations, and contains costs and income matched to a specific crop year.
Summary
A new web-based program, Know Your Numbers, Know Your Risks (KY#), was developed and launched to Riverland growers on the Riverland Wine internet portal. The program was supported through grower group tutorial sessions, a detailed manual and online tool tips. 30 growers have undertaken the tutorials to date, with growing interest from others as benefits are communicated within the industry. The project was conceived in Riverland grower workshops held in 2005 when grower returns were diminishing. Drought conditions had started to affect the Riverland region but the full impact of water restrictions and poor commodity prices were yet to fully impact on the industry. The absence of reliable cost of growing information and restricted access to benchmarking data continued to impede the best efforts of all industry stakeholders to build sustainable enterprises at every level. The KY# program, developed and improved with industry feedback though the group tutorial sessions, supports growers’ decisions on profitability for their whole farm, varieties and individual patches using a simple input process of readily available information. It delivers a meaningful, true net farm profit or loss figure, not distorted by cash flow or tax considerations, and contains costs and income matched to a specific crop year. This program supersedes other tools available to the sector, to benchmark vineyard inputs and costs, and assess economic viability of businesses. The program is accessible to wine growers on the Riverland Wine’s website at www.riverlandwine.com.au This project, which commenced in 2008 and finalised in 2013, acknowledges financial support from PIRSA/DTED, Riverland Wine and GWRDC. Partnerships in the project are also acknowledged, and have included: Pauline Diano, PIRSA appointed Project Manager; Jamie Ball, Agricultural Consultant Jamestown SA; Glen Ronan, Economist PIRSA; David Pocock, almond producer and former Horticultural Consultant, Rural Solutions SA; and Katalyst Interactive, web developers and programmers.