2. 2
• Planning of farm structures refers to all processes undergone right from
conception to completion of the structures.
• The planning stages include:
a) Conception & Feasibility: Investigate different alternatives for investments and
development of the farm, now and in the future. Check possible sources of
finance for the investment. The feasibility involves studies of user requirements,
site conditions, requirement from authorities, functional and technical
requirements and cost.
b) Sketch Plans: Roughly sketch alternatives to the general approach to layout,
functional planning, design and construction. Choose the required layout and
prepare preliminary constructional design and cost calculations. Alternatively,
drawings can be collected from reliable sources e.g. research stations. Study the
drawings and evaluate them regarding the functional and technical
requirements.
c) Detailed design of every component of the building. Complete cost and checking of
designs. Final decision on construction. The design of farm structures is essentially
similar to the design of Civil Engineering structures like buildings.
d) Working drawings, schedules, and specifications regarding production methods and
assembly and installation instructions. Preparations of a time schedule for the
production of the building.
e) Bill of Quantities: The aim of quantity surveying is to provide an accurate bill of
quantities, that is a list of the amounts of all materials and labour necessary to
complete a construction project. See example in Note Bk.
f) Invite tenders from contractors out of which one is chosen. Tenders can be by open
tenders e.g. Advertised in papers and selective tenders (meeting capable contractors).
Sign contracts.
g) Site operations including hiring of labour, provision of tools, preparation of access roads
to sites, provision of temporal stores and sheds, clearing of sites, delivery of
construction materials and technical inspection during construction.
4. 4
• Example: 5 Corridor Economic Region in Malaysia
o Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) - Johor
o Northern Corridor of Economic Region (NCER) – Perlis, Kedah, Pulau Pinang & north of Perak
o East Coast Economic Region (ECER) – Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang & north of Mersing,
Johor
o Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) – Sarawak
o Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) – Sabah
• NCER leverages on the existing economic achievements of the region in
electronics, tourism and agriculture, as well as its strategic location bordering
Thailand and facing the Malacca Straits. Leveraging on the strengths of the
region, 4 key thrust areas have been identified, namely agriculture,
manufacturing, tourism and logistics.
5. 5
East Coast Economic Region
Crops
Fisheries
Livestock
Northern Corridor Economic Region
Paddy Farming
Downstream Industries
Livestock Farming
Greenhouse
Sabah Development Corridor
Food Production - Livestock Centre
Agropolitan - Crops
Fisheries
Cold Room Facilities and Services
Sarawak Corridor Of Renewable
Energy
Halal Hub
Food Processing
Fishing & Aquaculture Industry
Livestock Industry
• Urban planning is the physical planning of concentrated human settlements
designated as urban areas. It is a indication that a certain degree of detail is required
of the planner.
• Urban plans are represented in the same way as physical plans but they normally
include more detail, including:
o infrastructure network
o spatial organizational structures
o detailed action area plans
o density distribution
o zoning regulations for the areas
o location of functions in the urban system including population, industry, commerce, institutions,
o recreational facilities, utilities, natural resources,
o environmental action plans and other essential information thought to be important for the future
growth of the urban region.
6. 6
• Federal Department of Town
and Country Planning
Peninsular Malaysia
• Planning Unit at Local
Authority (PBT)
• The construction and operation of farm structures and infrastructure have
the potential to introduce pollution into the environment.
• Pollution is the introduction of contaminating substances into the
environment that lead to its degradation.
• Environmental planning essentially has the following main objectives:
o To minimize threats to human health and life
o To preserve resources for future use, e.g. minimizing soil erosion and deforestation.
o To achieve recreational goals such as preserving certain areas in their natural state.
o To minimize damage to the environment e.g. by preserving the habitat of a rare species
that has no known or readily foreseeable use to us.
7. 7
• Steps for Planning
1. Establishment of individual farmers’ objectives, priorities and constraints for
their farm operation.
2. Analysis of financial resources
3. Listing of all available resources for the farming enterprises, quantifying them
and describing their qualities
4. Description of all factors in the physical, economic and administrative
environment that directly influence the farming enterprises, but over which the
farmer has no direct influence,
5. Individual analysis of each type of farm enterprise, whether crop or animal
production, to determine its allowance of total capital.
• When developing an economic plan, the farm building Engineer should
obtain as much of the information as possible, in addition to data relating
to the following factors:
1. A comprehensive master plan of the farmstead.
2. For storage structures, data concerning the expected acreage and yield
of the crop to be dried and stored, the length of the storage period, i.e.
the amount of produce to be sold or consumed at the time of harvest.
3. For animal housing, the quantity and quality of animals currently owned
and the possibility and time scale for increasing and improving the herd
through a breeding programme should be considered.
4. Availability of building materials and construction skills at the farm or in
the rural area concerned.
5. Laws and regulations applicable to the proposed building and the
enforcement agencies involved.
8. 8
• Consider the following factors:
o Cost of Land and Building
o Interest of Capital Money: This represents the interest paid for money borrowed for building the
house or in case the farmer used his money, the interest that could have accrued to him if he had
used his capital for other purposes. The interest rate should be either the rate paid or the current
rate of mortgage loans in the area.
o Insurance and Taxes: Insurance cost should be included in capital investment whether or not the
building is insured. The risk of fire and other hazards is borne by the insurance company if it is
insured or by the owner himself if it is not. This may range from 1/2 to 1 % of the original cost of
the building.For countries where taxes are charged on buildings, this should be included. Taxes
may range from 1 to 2 % of the original cost.
o Repairs and Maintenance: All buildings require some maintenance but the cost varies with age,
type of building, climate and environment, construction materials and use of the building. One to
three percent of initial construction cost is usually assumed as a uniform annual allowance
throughout the life of the building.
• The farmstead forms the nucleus of the farm operation where a wide range of
farming activities are undertaken.
• It normally includes the dwelling, animal shelters, storage structures, equipment
shed, workshop and other structures.
• A carefully developed plan should provide a location for buildings and facilities
that allows adequate space for convenient and efficient operation of all activities,
while at the same time protecting the environment from such undesirable effects
as odours, dust, noise, flies and heavy traffic.
• Objectives:
Efficient
Safe, pleasant, productive
Environmental control
9. 9
• Some of the benefits derivable from a farm building include: -
o Provide facilities for efficient operations
o An environment providing conducive and sanitary conditions.
o Provide desirable condition suitable for production
o Provide comfortable surroundings for both livestock and workers.
o Provide safe conditions for both livestock and workers.
1. The functional requirement such as space, temperature, light, safety,
sanitation, physical protection etc.
2. Efficiency of system, location of centralized operation, bulk material handling
etc.
3. Adequate structural design for the loads to which the building will be subjected
to.
4. Suitability of materials with respect to characteristics like durability, cost, fire
resistance, ease of cleaning etc.
5. Economy of construction, costs are reduced by choosing prefabricated
assemblies, standard size materials and components etc.
6. Flexibility of design that will allow proposed enterprise to be altered or a new
enterprise to be established with minimum expense and effort.
10. 10
• Weather
• Geography
• Materials Handling
Whether new or old -
• consider entire farmstead
• possible future changes
• Drainage and Topography
o Surface and sub-surface drainage, well
drain soil
o Soil types, soil depth and fertility
o Natural vegetation
o Land slope- to avoid erosion
• Waste Management
o Waste handling
o Wind direction to avoid air and odor pollution
• Water resources
o Availability good water quality water is
essential for farm activities
• Utilities and services
o Electrical, telephone line
o Access road
• Orientation
o Sunrises and sunset
o Prevailing wind direction
• Expansion
o Adequate provision for future expansion
11. 11
• Topography: Is it suitable (flats) for crop production and cattle grazing
or (hilly) for tree plantations, orchards and vineyards?
• Availability of natural resources: Sufficient running water for cattle
and sheep; what about a river for irrigation purposes?
• Location of the farm: How far is it from a market (fresh fruit and
vegetables) or silo (maize, sunflower and wheat crops)?
• Farming practices: The availability of workers must also be taken into
account as fresh fruit, vegetables, citrus and vines need more labors
(handpicking) than cattle farming.
• Different enterprise possibilities: Sufficient rainfall, soil type, daylight
hours and temperature to yield crops, or rather cattle breeding
(Bushveld) where it is too dry and warm for crops?
• The availability of capital: Aid from the government, Bank loans or
Contract based?
• The preference/experience of the farmer/owner (in a lesser degree)
will also influence decision-making.
12. 12
• A Farm layout refers to the compiling of physical structures such as homesteads,
outbuildings, waterways, contours, camps, water supply roads and the layout of
orchards, vineyards or lands.
• However, the area where the farm is situated, the topography, the availability of
natural resources, the farming practices, the different enterprises, the availability
of capital and the preference of the farmer/owner will also affect the farm layout.
• Zone Planning
o Zone planning can be a useful tool, but it is most effective when planning a new
farmstead.
o The farmstead is divided into zones 10 m to 30 m wide by concentric circles.
o The advantage
• provides space for present farm operations,
future expansion and a good living environment.
13. 13
• Zone 1 at the centre of the farmstead is for family living, and should be protected
from odour, dust, flies, etc.
• Zone 2 for clean, dry and quiet activities, such as implement sheds and small
storage structures
• Zone 3 for larger grain stores, feed stores and small animal units
• Zone 4 for large-scale animal production
16. 16
• Factors to considered
o Space
o Climate
o Temperature
o Relative Humidity
o Air/ Ventilation
o Light
o Safety from predators
Broilers in a large tunnel ventilated
17. 17
• Factors to considered
o System capacity
o Location
o Handling method and equipment
o Provision for drying, aeration and fumigation of grains
o Structural requirements : due to high load span and large volume,
steel structure are the most suitable. Reinforced concrete are
satisfactory material for heavy duty floor and foundation
o Aesthetic and Economic
• Factors to be considered for site selection
o The microclimate conditions
o The water and electricity supply
o Labour availability
o The distance to the markets and transportation costs
o The orientation of the greenhouses depends on the main wind and
rain direction.
o Penetration of rain through ventilator openings has to be avoided.
o Fans for evaporation cooling should face the main wind direction.
o Windbreaks by natural planting or by artificial windbreak structure
should be considered in the planning of the greenhouse if wind
velocities are high.
o The soil at the greenhouse location should have adequate drainage
provision.
o The soil topography should have a slight slope (about 0.5–1%) in the
longitudinal direction to drain off rainwater.
18. 18
• A client intend to develop a land which consist of
office, herbs garden, greenhouses, goat house
and fish pond at assigned location (near Insat,
Padang Besar, Perlis) as Figure 1. Includes also
the farm road, parking and related
accommodation.
• Plan and design the layout of the integrated
farm.
• Work in group (2-3 students/ group)
• You can use AutoCAD/related software to plan
and design a farm layout.
• Due date is in on 2 November 2022.
• Submit the pdf drawing with legend to e-learning
UniMAP.
Figure 1: Areas to develop
19. 19
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
― Benjamin Franklin
