While diversification has worked favourably in the past, many farmers are now recognising the limitations -- rising overhead costs and the need to be up-to-date with the latest technologies. THERE'S much to be said for keeping things simple. Too manytimes, farm businesses try to diversify too far by having six or eight enterprises operating consecutively. For example, a single family farm in the sheep/wheat zone may once have had a Merino enterprise, a first-cross sheep enterprise capturing replacement ewes from the Merino enterprise, a second-cross lamb enterprise capturing replacement ewes from the first-cross enterprise, a self-replacing beef breeding enterprise and a beef fattening enterprise. The farm might also have grown wheat, barley, oats, canola, peas, lupins, sunflowers and triticale.
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