NPR - In Pursuit Of Sustainability: The Use Of The Business Plan As A Management Tool For Growers

The Sustainable Sugarcane Farm Management System SUSFARMS® proposes that for the “Prosperity” pillar to be upheld, both a detailed agronomic and financial plan need to be put in place. This can be achieved through the development of a comprehensive business plan which provides an assessment of the farm business intervention requirements in order to develop the farming enterprise which include: crop establishment, infrastructure development, mentoring, capacity building, and other assistance in the daily operations of the business. This re-establishment of the farm economic infrastructure is essential to provide a base for sustained profitability. The paper stresses the important role of the entrepreneur who has to take responsibility for the plan and treat it like a living document which can, with assistance of skilled agronomic and economic extension staff, be used as an invaluable management tool to guide decisions on various aspects of the farming business.

Keywords: sustainability, business plan, management tool, land reform