For each farm management enterprise, you will need to enter the date that this enterprise nominally starts. Note that the year of the date that you enter here is not important as the date is taken as an annually recurring date. This sets the default season for any transaction entered and period to select Physical account transactions for enterprise reports.
Choose a date that reflects the seasonal cycle of each enterprise in your region. A Queensland farmer might choose an October date for a Wheat enterprise. Thus an expense or income incurred in September 2017 would be allocated to the 2017 Winter season, while transactions occurring in December 2017 would be allocated to the 2018 Winter season.
Seasons are named according to the enterprise type as follows;
Summer Crops |
2017/2018 Summer |
Winter Crops |
2017 Winter |
Livestock |
2017 Period |
Seasons are named for the year in which the season ends. Thus the winter season that ends in October 2017 is called the 2017 Winter season. This would be the season where the bulk of the growing season is in 2017. This policy means that if you set the season start date as say 12th January, then since the season is named for the period in which the season ends, the season from 12 Jan 2016 to 11 Jan 2017 would be called the 2017 Winter season.
Livestock enterprises are named for the calendar year that the season ends just like winter crops, but the season is called Period not Winter.
Summer Crop seasons are named for the financial year in which the season ends.
