How To Use Technology In Agriculture To Save You Money
Farmers today are under increasing pressure to produce higher yields, while soft commodity prices are forcing them to lower costs. In order to achieve this, farmers need a farm management software that helps them leverage their farm data into timely decisions that save money and maximize profits on the farm. This is especially important as growers move toward more and more precision agricultural practices on their farms.
Precision Agriculture is a data-driven approach to farm management that can improve farm productivity and yields, thereby increasing the overall profitability of farming. It also helps reduce the need for inputs such as water and artificial fertilisers and pesticides, thus reducing the environmental footprint of farming.
Technology has great potential in agriculture and is finding new ways to save money. Farmers want to stay profitable for the long term, which means being able to adapt and alter their practices as necessary. The industry is growing fast and with it comes change and opportunity. Increasing efficiency within a farm will help harvest more yields, grow profits and sustain farms for the long term.
While modern farming technologies continues to revolutionize the world, many people do not think that it could improve their farming lives or those of others. This is mostly due to the fact that they are always relying on others to tell them how they could be better off than they already are. However, many farmers are starting to new agriculture technology innovations in their farms to increase productivity and save money by making chores a little easier.
Let's dive into the 2 best modern farming technologies that solves your capital, market, time and finance problems as a farmer.
Farm Management Tools for the Modern Farmer
1. FarmCloud
Managing a farm has never been easier but with FarmCloud software you can now be able to take trouble out of your farm management. Our FarmCloud allows farmers to access to a wide range of management tools to optimise their farm. For instance with this farm management software you can:
- Reduce Costs: Reduce farm input costs by 40% and Increase yield by 60% hence helping you save money you could have spent on farm inputs.
- Access to Marketplace: Access to instance market on for your harvest
- Save Time: Manage Pest and Diseases remotely, saving you time from manual inspection
- Access to Capital: Access to finance and insurance
2. AI Powered FarmShield
Given that many farmers today are evaluating various data platforms in search of the most efficient, comprehensive and easy-to-use solution for their farm, we came up with FarmShield™ that helps farmers focus on the key attributes needed to lay the groundwork for success. With FarmShield™ you can remotely control your farm from your mobile phone and dashboard while getting real-time information on fertigation and irrigation needs for your crop.
It’s really easy to use! you just buy our FarmShield™ online, we deliver, install and set up your cloud access to allow you manage your farm from our app, web portal or even USSD platform.
What to look for in a Farm Management Tool that will help you Save Money:
1. Seamless Integration Between Hardware, Software and Services
One of the greatest challenges facing farmers today is getting their hardware and software to work together and, ideally, generate ROI. With multiple manufacturers and competing support teams involved, technology integration can become a significant drain on time and resources. By accessing hardware and software from the same company, support and integration becomes seamless and the farmer can concentrate on running a successful business.
In this case, you can access the software, FarmCould to help you manage your farm operations and hardware, AI Powered Farmshield, to help you monitor your farm and automate your irrigation in your farm.
2. Farm Management Tool That Enables Data Capturing
Data is vital to a farmer. As l mentioned earlier, precision agriculture is data-driven. In this case, farmers keep record of every data they collect from their farms to help them make decisions. Having a farm management software that allow them keep records without much hassle will reduce costs of hiring a record keeper and materials to be used for data entry. For example, FarmCloud allows you to enter your daily farm records through mobile or laptop.
When you are buying a modern farming technology equipment with the aim of collecting data, make sure it gathers, processes and analyzes data to support management decisions.
3. Mobile Capabilities Second to None in Today’s Agricultural Sector
With FarmShield™, farmers can now use one software platform that enables automatic water regulation, Instant SMS alerts from farm sensors, Powered by solar = 24/7 farm monitoring — all from a smartphone or tablet.
With this, you can use water sparingly and efficiently hence saving high water bills.
4. Software that Supports Food Traceability Trend
In response to increasing demand among today’s consumers to better understand how their food is produced. Key players across the agriculture sector are ramping up efforts to track ingredients all the way up the food chain. To appeal to consumers, food retailers are pushing their suppliers to provide traceability branded items. In turn, food processors are requiring more data from growers that documents how the crop was grown. As this paper trail becomes a regular cost of doing business, farmers are turning to comprehensive, reliable, mobile-friendly farm data management platforms like FarmShield™ and FarmCloud that generate the required documentation without the headaches.
Conclusion
Technology is providing a range of potentially crucial and cost-saving insights into effective modern farming techniques. From tracking crop health and soil conditions, to reducing pests and adopting new farming methods, farmers are finding it easier than ever before to find out how to run their farms more efficiently.
Most farmers have a good understanding of what agricultural technology can do for them, but they are still hesitant to take advantage of certain things, whether it is through ignorance or ill will. However, the benefits outweigh the costs and with a little effort, farmers all over the world can improve their farm’s work flow and efficiency by investing in new equipment and technology.
Before you begin using technology to grow better crops or save money, make sure that the technology is the best fit for your operations. In other words, don’t turn to technology without first thinking through your options and determining if it’s a good fit. Of course, there may be ways to use technology that you didn’t even consider before taking the time to identify them. Once you have determined that technology is a fit for your business, start with a small scale test, and treat this process like an experiment. Tweak your processes over time and see what works for you and what doesn’t. Above all else, be willing to try new things.
There is so much to learn about the use of technology in agriculture that it would be impossible for even the most avid reader to know it all. Subscribe to our newsletters for more articles weekly.