Farm accounting for farm decision making: a case study in Greece

This manuscript aims to present the importance of an empirical estimation method of farms' economic results, in order to show that keeping detailed agricultural accounts by farm managers is necessary for farm decision making, future planning, and dealing with unexpected situations. The presentation was carried out through a representative family farm engaged in plant products' production, characterised by a complex production plan and located in Central Macedonia (Greece). Data collection required the farm's accounting report for one year (2019), using a specially designed questionnaire based on Agricultural Economic Research Laboratory's principles of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The implementation showed that keeping detailed accounts leads to the economic results' calculation that help farm manager to determine the farm's current state, identify the factor that burdens the economic result and establish the participation of each production sector in the total income; elements that can lead also to the management for sustainable development.