A survey of 1356 farms by Solutions Marketing and Research has found for the first time that almost half of those businesses made joint financial decisions based on the input of both husband and wife.

In 51 per cent of family farming operations, the decision to use a particular bank is undertaken by both husband and wife.

Research into banks and insurance providers is conducted by both partners in more than 40 per cent of businesses.

Cumnock’s Pip Job, who runs a farm business with her husband and works for the Little River Landcare Group, said women were good at making decisions affecting farm finances.

“I think it’s tremendous that women are being involved in the business. It’s the first step to building more sustainable family farms,” she said.

“Women have a greater sense of intuition on things. They’re not out in the paddock every day so their emotion is slightly detached from the decision making. That can help them to make decisions which might be a little bit more balanced.”

Mrs Job said women were often more likely to be involved in the financial management of newer farming businesses rather than those which had been in the same family for several generations.

She said years of drought in the area had also had an impact in terms of the increasing involvement of farming wives.

“I think some women have sort of been forced into the role because their husbands may not have been mentally in great shape. They’ve stepped up to the plate,” she said.

“I’ve also seen an attitude change, particularly in younger women, in accepting they have a responsibility to be an asset to the farm business.”

Christine Weston, also from Cumnock, said technology had also played a role, with women often taking responsibility for checking commodity prices and weather reports online.