WORKING WITH MACHINERY SYNDICATES AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF PART-TIME FARMERS - RESULTS OF A SURVEY OF 117 PART-TIME FARMERS IN BADEN-WURTTEMBERG

The aim of this survey was to collect data on the forms of cooperation practised by part-time farmers, and especially on these farmers' atti tudes to machinery syndicates. Additional information was also require d regarding the machinery syndicate as an instrument of self-help, and also on the conditions under which these farmers were working and the degree of mechanisation on their farms.The survey was conducted in th e summer of 1994 in the areas served by two machinery syndicates in Ba den-Wurttemberg. Personal interviews were held with a total of 117 par t-time farmers using a standard questionnaire. The respondents were no t members of any machinery syndicate. The results may be briefly summa rised as follows: Part-time farmers work. 40 and more hours per week a t their normal jobs, and are actively engaged in all the major aspects of the work on their farms. These part-time farmers were not exploiti ng the full capacity of their machinery, even though this as such was relatively low and some of the machines were very outdated. They were very ill informed regarding their regional machinery syndicate (its ex istence, service potential and the way it functioned). Their reasons f or not joining a machinery syndicate, either now or in future, were ve ry diverse. Two salient reasons advanced were that their own farms (fo r different reasons) were unsuitable for membership, and that the synd icate would not be able to meet their timetables. 68 % of respondents worked in co-operation with other farms either on a good-neighbourly b asis (53 %), or exchanging machinery (21%), or with. private contracto rs (29 %). However, this cooperation between farms has not led to any reduction in farm machinery. The farm organisation (degree of mechanis ation, workloads), the main motives for co-operation between part-time farmers and the low standard of relevant knowledge highlighted by the survey reveal the need to improve the information supplied to these f armers. Ideas for what should be done here and the methods of procedur e to be followed will be addressed briefly in a concluding article.