Farm Management Software – How To Choose The Right One?
Farmers must adapt to changing environmental conditions as well as the demands of regulators, consumers, food processors, and retailers.
Climate change, soil erosion, and biodiversity loss are rising challenges, as are customers’ changing tastes in food and concerns about how it is produced. And the natural environment with which farming interacts — plants, pests, and illnesses – continues to present its own set of problems.
While contemporary agriculture offers a wide range of options, the end result varies from farm to farm due to differences in landscapes, soils, accessible technology, and possible yields.
What kinds of issues do farmers have to deal with?
Farmers must deal with a variety of issues, including how to:
- Deal with climate change, soil erosion, and the loss of biodiversity
- Satisfy the changing tastes and expectations of customers
- Meet the growing demand for higher-quality food.
- Invest in increasing farm productivity.
- Adopting and learning new technology is a must.
- Maintain resiliency in the face of global economic issues.
- Encourage young people to stay in rural areas and work as farmers in the future.
In order to meet global food consumption expectations by 2050, food output will need to double. Aside from the need to feed an ever-increasing population, modern agricultural operations must contend with climate change, natural variations, pest and disease infestations, deteriorating soil health, and decreasing resources. Farmers are switching from spreadsheets and notebooks to farm management software in order to compete on a global basis.
Following are the main benefits of utilizing farm management software:
Improved Planning and Monitoring
Farm management software gives farmers a holistic view of their operations on a single platform, allowing them to plan more effectively, track activities in real time, and make the best decisions possible. An analytical system that collects, analyses, and allows for informed decision-making is required to ensure that a farm enterprise meets its full potential. Software can advise on when and how to undertake crop operations, as well as the best pest control treatments and fertilizer applications. Farm production plans can be accessed and used by all team members thanks to a range of team collaboration capabilities.
Save money on materials and labour
Farm management software can help farmers save money on inputs and labour. A farm management system that takes a holistic approach integrates both business and operational data to improve efficiencies and, as a result, contributes to high ROI. In reality, the usage of farm management software can enhance profitability by up to 20%.
Better Risk Management
Today’s farmers must cope with a variety of external dangers that are beyond their control, such as weather, illness, market demands, and so on. However, there are several aspects that can help farmers gain better control, such as weather forecasts, early detection, and preventive interventions against pests and disease. In certain settings, a competent farm management software platform recognises the essential links among real-time data elements such as weather, soil health, and pest/disease incidences. The technology can then warn farmers about approaching dangers and operate as a knowledgeable companion who can assist them boost yields and profits.
Observe all regulatory requirements
Traceability and compliance with Global Agricultural Practices (GAP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Good Handling Practices (GHP), and other standards are also emphasised in farm management software. These certificates ensure that modern farmers give consumers with high-quality, safe food.
Sustainability as well as social responsibility
The benefits mentioned above help to reduce the environmental impact of contemporary agriculture. Reduced water, fertiliser, and pesticide use, as well as less chemical runoff into rivers and groundwater, all contribute to more environmentally friendly and sustainable farming operations.
Farm management software includes techniques and methods for keeping a farm productive, profitable, and long-lasting. More than ever, farmers require it.
Also Read: Impact of Sustainable Agriculture and Farming Practices
What Is a Farm Management Software, and Why do you need it?
Farm management software consists of websites, mobile apps, and computer programmes designed specifically for the farming industry to assist farmers in making better production and operational decisions:
- It helps with day-to-day organization.
- It’s easier to supervise employees.
- Improves the accuracy of farm records
- Assists in meeting regulatory requirements
- Reduces the environmental effect of modern farming
- For increased efficiency and profitability, monitors and analyses the seasons, farm activities, and costs.
There are a variety of farm management systems available, each with more generalized solutions for multi-sector farmers as well as options for single-sector businesses.
Software For Budgeting & Forecasting
Designed for forecasting future income and expenses and planning financial resources. It allows farmers, accountants, and bankers to collaborate by providing real-time data access.
Software For Commodity Management
Commodity management software is used to track and report cash flow, logistics, and financials in order to improve sales and marketing efficiency.
Software For Precision Agriculture
Precision agricultural software promotes profitability, efficiency, and sustainability by merging technology such as drones, GPS-based soil samples, and automated hardware into farming activities.
Software For Livestock and Mixed Farming
Livestock and mixed farming software allow farmers to keep track of their animals throughout their lives. It can keep track of animal inventory – including numbers and measurable – as well as pasture rotations, grazing, and feeding schedules, as well as financial tracking for livestock sales revenues.
Software For cropping Broadacres
Broadacre cropping software, which is designed for crop management, monitors and optimizes crop yield. It assists with audits and compliance reports, maintains up-to-date field and crop data, and allows farmers, labourers, and agronomists to cooperate.
The perfect solution should be dependable, straightforward, and simple to use, allowing you to relax and focus on your business rather than being bogged down by paperwork. But, first and foremost, it should protect the privacy of its users’ data. Real-time data sharing is possible with mobile apps and the offline and online capabilities of new generation cloud-based apps. They enable farmers to keep an eye on their operations from anywhere and outsource jobs to save even more time.
A Good Farm Management System (FMS) Can Make a Huge Difference
Farmers are frequently overburdened by all of the tasks and stress that come with owning and operating a farm, which may be tough and time-consuming. Farmers should adopt farm management software to save time on awkward paperwork and guarantee that all actions are documented and clearly recorded.
Analysis in Depth
The best farming software should be a perfect analysis. What does this mean in practice? All crops (fruit, vegetables, grasses, and grain, for example) and productivity methods (conventional, organic, or integrated) as well as all farming operations should be served (central field registration, temporary or permanent workers to inventory).
Inventories’ stock levels and machine utilization
It should enable farmers to have total support for all aspects of their production, regardless of what they grow, from inventory control to equipment use.
Monitoring of the Weather
Hailstorms, ice, storms, or a lack of water can severely lower yields and result in financial losses. The same may be said for late crop protection—if precautions are not done in a timely manner, the consequences could be severe. That’s why keeping track of weather conditions per field and analysing prospective bug diseases and pest outbreaks is vital.
Existing Software Integration
There are numerous benefits to having a large number of vendors marketing IoT and remotely sensed products, but there are some disadvantages as well. When choosing the right FMS, a farmer should look for one that can easily integrate with their existing software (accounting, ERP, e-commerce, etc.) and hardware (automated data collecting from industrial machinery) as well as any other third-party systems.
Customization
If a farmer is part of a large farming enterprise, he is likely to have particular special needs. As a result, it would be excellent if the software could be adapted to his specific production process and address the problems he is having.
How Can Folio3 Agtech Farm Management Software help?
Folio3 is your best farm management software partner in terms of technology.
Folio3 is one of the world’s top technology solution suppliers. It possesses the necessary knowledge, experience, and resources to create the most appropriate technology for your farms.
Folio3 is by far the greatest farm management software provider, since it assists users with crop planning and accounting at every stage of the process, from harvesting to distribution, for both large and small farms of any size.
The interactive database aids in cost control and effective sourcing of raw materials and finished goods. Transport and order tracking, as well as automatic order entry controls, are further standout features.
Furthermore, using information such as temperature and weather forecasts, the Geographic Information System component aids in improving operational efficiency and production.
FAQs:
Why is farm management important?
For farmland owners to maximize annual ROI and long-term capital appreciation, farm management is critical. Any farmland should increase in value and generate annual revenue for its owners, but landowners who practice progressive farm management should expect much higher profits.
