Information needs and computer skills for successful farm management: A South African experience

On analysing the environment in which farming is practised, it was found th at meaningful changes had occurred since the middle eighties. These changes had an influence on the types and sources of information, as well the mana gement processes, used by farmers. It is furthermore expected that there wi ll be a difference between farmers with different fanning types (livestock, crop or mixed farms). A meaningful correlation was found between the compu ter skills of farmers and their management performance. Different agricultu ral groups had different opinions on the relative importance of computer sk ills. This paper highlights the types and sources of information required b y farmers, the relationship between computer skills and farming performance , as well as the resulting changes in the computer training of tertiary stu dents in Agricultural Management at Technikon Free State.