New Gatekeeper integration with agrirouter offers improved connectivity for customers

  • This partnership will help to provide farmers with additional options to manage their data at a single point of access, supporting critical business decision-making. 
  • This new integration will connect Farmplan Gatekeeper users with more manufacturers and software than ever before.
  • agrirouter will be made available to Farmplan Gatekeeper users from 11th July 2023.

Farmplan, part of Proagrica, have today announced a new integration with agrirouter, which will provide Gatekeeper users with an expanded range of connectivity options and new ways to access and manage their data.

Incompatibility between IT systems is a growing problem in agriculture, leading to commercial inefficiencies for farmers, as technology improves, and data expands. However, this new integration allows farmers to gain better control over their data through a user-friendly interface that centralizes data management.

agrirouter, developed by the non-profit organization DKE-DATA, will provide Gatekeeper users with a new level of compatibility for their machines, allowing for efficient data exchange between multiple software systems. Farmers can have peace of mind knowing that they will remain independent and in control of their data through this integration, as agrirouter does not use the data it delivers.

The integration will enable Gatekeeper users to connect with a wider range of agricultural technology and equipment manufacturers, expanding wireless connectivity for their machines and software. Unlike before, users can now connect to platforms which were previously not compatible, such as Trimble,  AGCO, SDF, McCormick, Grimme, Amazone and Krone. In addition to this, agrirouter will also allow farmers working on the fields to send their data back to their software via the cloud. This streamlined process not only saves users valuable time and eliminates unnecessary hassle but also mitigates the risks associated with data duplication, loss, or corruption when transitioning between different systems.

With Farmplan set to roll out the agrirouter integration to precision farming customers, Piers Costley, VP Operations at Proagrica explained the benefit, “This integration is a hugely exciting development for Gatekeeper users. Updates to connectivity and compatibility for customers, as well as new levels of data control and visibility, will ultimately improve the efficiency and user experience for farmers using Gatekeeper across the UK.”

Johannes Sonnen, Managing Director at agrirouter, said “The digitisation of agriculture can only work if all companies in the agricultural industry pull together and bundle their know-how. In this way, the entire industry can provide customers – farmers and contractors – with more and more interoperable smart farming tools that enable farms to continuously optimize their food production processes while meeting legal, ecological and economic requirements. At Smart Farming Days in June 2023 (https://smartfarmingdays.com/), visitors were able to learn about smart farming tools that are already available today and those that will be available in the future.,”

This new integration between Gatekeeper and agrirouter will be available from 11th July 2023.

To learn more about Gatekeeper and Farmplan, please visit here.

To learn more about agrirouter, please visit https://agrirouter.com/en/

Are you adopting climate friendly farming practices? Make your data work for you with new reporting for Agreena farmers in Gatekeeper

We’re pleased to confirm that for those of your interested in adopting climate friendly regenerative farming practices on farm with a view to generating carbon certification with Agreena, you can now make use of a range of reports in system.

Thomas Gent, Market Lead for Agreena UK says “Agreena operates a world leading carbon farming program, working with arable farmers across the UK who are implementing climate friendly practices such as optimisation of nitrogen use and cover cropping. Agreena is able to work with you to generate carbon certificates which are a tradable asset providing a new income stream. Agreena is delighted to have formed a collaboration with Gatekeeper in order to make the data collection and onboarding process simple and easy.”

If you’re already a Gatekeeper user you can access these reports in the Gatekeeper Analysis Module which include Agreena Field List, Field Strategy and Soil Information.

For those not already using Gatekeeper and would like to explore your options for getting started please speak with our knowledgeable sales team on 01594 545000 or email farmplansales@proagrica.com

Breaking down barriers to migration: Make the move to cloud-based farm management tools today

The team was excited to exhibit at Cereals 2023 this year, the biggest occasion in the arable calendar. The event showcased the latest in arable farming as well as provided the opportunity to listen to talks by leading industry experts and served as a chance to have some very interesting conversations.

On the stand, we were able to talk to many farmers and agriculture businesses, big and small, about our farm management software and IT solutions and how they can transform the way farm businesses are run.

The hot topic that came up time and time again in our conversations with farmers was rural connectivity. Most of the concerns raised were around how farmers can be supported to move their businesses towards a digital future when rural connectivity is still poor in some areas.

Poor connectivity is not an obstacle to digital farm management

The team had many discussions around the use of our farm management tools such as Farmplan Business Cloud (FBC) and Gatekeeper Cloud (GKC) with many farmers asking if poor connectivity would be an obstacle to using them.

We are happy to reassure any farmers looking to adopt our digital tools that it isn’t. It may surprise you to learn that they only require an internet speed of 1MBps (1 Megabyte per second) to run, which means that even with relatively poor or slow connectivity, farmers can still manage their farm businesses and collaborate with stakeholders in real time.

While digital products like FBC and GKC do require an internet connection to run, they don’t need a lot of speed or bandwidth. For farmers who are worried about this issue, this is what we’d like you to know. If you are already doing your taxes online as per the MTD (Making Tax Digital) regulations, you already have the connectivity that’s necessary to run FBC and GKC.

Help with the transition to digital farm management

We’ve been developing farm data management solutions for almost 50 years and 65% of our team have more than a decade of agricultural experience. In fact, more than 8,500 farms, professionals, and agriculture businesses trust our digital farm management products.

We understand the issues that farmers face, and we know that rural connectivity is an important one. That’s why we work closely and patiently with customers to address any concerns while helping them transition smoothly to digital farm management.

The benefits of adopting cloud-based tools

Instead of getting by with cumbersome spreadsheets and paper records, our cloud-based tools like FBC and GKC allow farmers to input, access, and share data in real time, from any location, which makes for a much easier and flexible way of working.

Imagine having more time to focus on the farm tasks that matter, instead of spending it on onerous data entry. Being able to access and share data from any device, whether you’re in the office or the field. Seamlessly sharing data with your accountant or agronomist. Having the ability to analyse your business in detail so you know which areas of your business are performing well and where there’s room for improvement. It’s all possible with tools like GKC.

Our customers overwhelmingly tell us that once we’ve helped them with the transition to digital farm management, they’ve never looked back, and it’s allowed their businesses to thrive. Many of those same customers are located in areas with poor connectivity, but it hasn’t held them back.

Get connected to future proof your farm business

In uncertain and challenging times for farmers, improving productivity, profitability, and sustainability is essential for future success. With our range of farm management tools, farmers can future proof their farm businesses even without a super-fast internet connection.

For farmers who are considering migrating to digital farm management, our expert team are on hand to offer tailored farm-focused help and advice, call 01594 545000 or email farmplansales@proagrica.com

Farmplan Business Cloud now offers tools to improve cost-savings for customers

  • Latest update allows farmers to easily keep track of their costs, as well as analyse key trends and wider commercial performance
  • Access to commercial data has never been more critical for farmers

Farmplan, part of Proagrica, has today announced a new enhancement to Farmplan Business Cloud to expand the management information which can be recorded and reported on in Farmplan Business Cloud.

In the current economic climate where commercial margins are under pressure, it has never been more important for customers to be able to access critical quantities and pricing information.

In addition to being able to enter quantity and price against all purchase and sales invoices, farmers who use Farmplan Business Cloud will now have the ability to record quantities and prices within all data entry screens. They can also drill down on these details or export them for more detailed analysis of trends. This latest feature promises both clarity and opportunities for cost-saving, in a straightforward format.

Farmplan, part of Proagrica is made up of agricultural experts, and is renowned for its hands-on, timely customer care. This update is the latest effort to provide additional benefits to existing customers and crucially, facilitate those moving to the cloud from desktop platforms.

Anne Cianchi, Product Manager, commented:

“With this enhancement, farmers can now easily keep track of their costs, as well as trends and performance. In fact, quantities can be recorded in all data entry screens, including journals/adjustments, which many other comparable packages simply do not do. By keeping track of quantities used and unit prices paid it is possible to anticipate the impact on the business of future price changes. In essence it means farmers can make informed business decisions going forward based on tangible figures, which in the current economic climate is more crucial than ever.”

According to our survey, 33% of respondents have already started utilizing the new feature for recording quantities, with a significant 70% of those rating the enhancement with an impressive 4 or 5 out of 5. This upgrade has been highly regarded for its ability to offer a much-appreciated level of detail in reporting and pricing, ultimately leading to improved accuracy in cost attribution and simplified reporting processes. Users have expressed their satisfaction with the latest release, as it allows them to effectively monitor price changes, track stock levels, and determine average unit price.

To learn more about Farmplan Business Cloud and Farmplan, please click here.

Farmplan and Herdwatch in new partnership

Your sheep and cattle software experience is about to be upgraded

Farmplan from Proagrica is pleased to announce a new partnership with Herdwatch. This collaboration will see current sheep and cattle software customers upgraded and transferred to the Herdwatch platform. The upgrade process for customers will start in June 2023.

Why are we upgrading this service?

For some time now, we have been assessing the livestock solutions on the market against our own range of cattle and sheep programs. Looking ahead, we know our customers need additional functionality and a tool that can help future-proof their business. We believe that Herdwatch is the platform that can best support this particular need. Herdwatch provides access to cutting edge technology and were deemed the best suited partner on the market.

Why did we choose Herdwatch?

Great care was taken to find the perfect partnership to provide this customer upgrade. Herdwatch is already used on more than 18,000 farms across the UK and Ireland and is a natural and logical partner for Farmplan. This partnership will equip users with access to valuable cloud integration to future-proof their operations.

What are the key benefits of Herdwatch software?

Herdwatch offers numerous benefits for sheep and cattle customers, including:

  • Specialist functionality to ease the burden of data entry for sheep, cattle and dairy farmers and put the recording of tasks to hand wherever and whenever.
  • Herdwatch is an easy-to-use, cloud-based solution that can be used by multiple users, to access multiple holdings, on multiple devices, making it the perfect solution for Farmplan sheep and cattle software customers.
  • Compliance compatibility with all current legislation requirements, with full integration for calf registrations and animal movements with BCMS, ScotEID & APHIS.
  • You can also simplify your record keeping for all Cross Compliance and Farm Assurance (i.e. Red Tractor) schemes in Herdwatch.
  • Device integration and compatibility with EID tags and readers.

What do you need to do next?

From today, you can begin to upgrade to the Herdwatch program. Herdwatch have agreed that all Farmplan customers can transfer to Herdwatch for free until the end of your current Farmplan support agreement.

We recommend that you start this move as soon as possible as by May 2024, Farmplan livestock support will end, this includes all updates, telephone support and access to BCMS/ScotEID.

As soon as you are ready to begin your upgrade to Herdwatch, please contact their dedicated team on 01594 480157 (9am-5pm Mon-Fri) or email farmplan@herdwatch.co.uk for help to get started. We are proud of our established and respected history of customer support, and this upgrade will be no different. As part of the agreement, both Farmplan and Herdwatch are committed to working together to upgrade existing customers both efficiently and as seamlessly as possible.

Here are some FAQ’s which might help with your immediate queries:

Why are you doing this?

For some time now we have been assessing the livestock solutions on the market against our own range of cattle and sheep programs. We know our customers want additional functionality and a tool that is designed to future proof your business. We believe that, rather than develop something that already exists in the UK, it would be more beneficial to you and us, to partner with an established software provider who already has an advanced product. Herdwatch is already used on more than 18,000 farms across the UK and Ireland. They provide access to cutting edge technology and were deemed the best suited partner on the market, that will equip you with access to valuable cloud integration to future-proof your operation.

What’s wrong with the product?

Our livestock suite of programs are coming to their natural end of life, Herdwatch offer a platform that will meet the needs of our customers and so nows the time to transfer your herd/flock records. Herdwatch provide access to cutting edge technology and were deemed the best suited partner on the market, that will equip you with access to valuable cloud integration to future-proof your operation.

When will my account be moved?

Effective immediately your invoices will be issued from Herdwatch. Should you have any queries regarding invoices please contact the Herdwatch team on 01594 480157 (9am-5pm Mon-Fri)  or email: farmplan@herdwatch.co.uk in the first instance.  

Pricing – how much will this cost me?

During the transfer period you will have access to both your existing cattle and sheep software from Farmplan and Herdwatch solutions for no additional charges, assuming your support subscription remains up to date.

Do I need to do anything?

Yes, as soon as you’re ready begin transferring your records over to Herdwatch. Please contact Herdwatch on 01594 480157 (9am-5pm Mon-Fri)  or email: farmplan@herdwatch.co.uk to help get you started.

What’s the transfer timeline?

From 1st June 2023 you can begin to transfer all your herd and flock records to the Herdwatch program. We recommend that you complete this move by May 2024 as at that time Farmplan support will end, this includes all updates and access to BCMS/ScotEID.

If I call the Farmplan support line during this time who will answer my queries?

All calls will be diverted to Herdwatch for frontline support from July 2023. During the transfer period, support for Farmplan livestock programs will be provided by both the Farmplan and the Herdwatch team – with Herdwatch being our frontline support from now onwards. They will be your first point of contact for all support of all livestock products. Rest assured they are prepared to answer your immediate queries relating to your Farmplan software. As part of the partnership, both Farmplan and Herdwatch are committed to working together to transfer existing customers both efficiently and as seamlessly as possible.

When will support end?

You have until May 2024 to transfer your records to Herdwatch – from this date you will no longer be able to update BCMS/ScotEID to complete notifications/registrations, there will be no product support, data fixes or product updates from Farmplan after this time. However, product support will be available for both Farmplan and Herdwatch solutions during this period providing your support subscription is up to date.

I don’t want to move to Herdwatch – what happens now?

It’s entirely your choice not to move to Herdwatch, however we have done research into the solutions available on the market today and Herdwatch offers you the best all round functionality and future proofing for your herd/flock records. It is important to remember that from May 2024 your Farmplan livestock products will cease to offer live notifications/BCMS connectivity.

What happens with my other existing contracts i.e. Farmplan software and hardware support and anti virus? 

Customers with financial, cropping or hardware products and services will continue to have access to unrivalled support alongside livestock support services, which will be provided through Herdwatch.

I don’t have active support but still use the program to submit my CTS movements?

You will need to consider moving your records to Herdwatch or an alternative provider before May 2024 to allow you to continue submitting your records to BCMS and ScotEID. We have done extensive market research and we believe Herdwatch is the most suitable product for our customers. They currently have 18,000 farmers using Herdwatch and have a similar support structure to our own. Their products already provide the features and functionalities that our customers have been looking for to successfully manage their herds and flocks effectively. 

Who are Herdwatch?

What solutions do they offer?

Will they be supporting me in the future?

Yes from now onwards Herdwatch will be working closely together with the Farmplan support team to provide livestock software support, providing you have an up to date support contract. From the 1st May 2024, Farmplan support will end and you will then be dealing directly with the Herdwatch support team.

How do I get in touch with Herdwatch?

Call: 01594 480157 (9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
Email: farmplan@herdwatch.co.uk

What information about my account have you passed to Herdwatch?

We have supplied very basic contract and contact information to our Herdwatch partners, they also operate within GDPR guidelines and will treat any information provided with care. Extensive work has been done to ensure we’re complying with GDPR rules and best practice.

If I’ve opted out of marketing emails from Farmplan will I start to receive things from Herdwatch and how do I opt out of that?

During the transfer process you will begin receiving communications from the Herdwatch team. We both take GDPR and data privacy guidance very seriously and so should you wish to opt out of marketing messaging you can do so at any time. Please note that for a period of 6 months after your contract end date, the Herdwatch team will continue to attempt to make contact with you to discuss transfering over to their product, you can opt out of these communications, please contact 01594 480157 (9am-5pm Mon-Fri)  or email: farmplan@herdwatch.co.uk

Am I able to move any of my data to Herdwatch?

Farmplan are currently developing a tool to enable you to transfer some historical data/reports to Herdwatch.  We will release more details on this in due course.

If you wish to begin the upgrade to Herdwatch now, you can do so.  Begin by making a backup of your Farmplan data.  Save or print the following reports for your records using a suitable start date to cover legal obligations:

  • General Reports/Herd register/Individual Animals/Movement Record register
  • General Reports/Holding Register Sheep/Holding Register 2010 and onwards
  • Vet and Med/Medicine Record Books

Contact Herdwatch to initialise your move by calling 01594 480157 (9am-5pm Mon-Fri) or email farmplan@herdwatch.co.uk.  After setup the Herdwatch team will be able to assist with importing pdf files of the above reports into the program.

Please note these reports will not be editable at this time but will provide you with historical reference data for your herd/flock.

What will the Farmplan wizard for upgrading to Herdwatch transfer? 

Farmplan are currently developing a tool to enable you to transfer some historical data/reports to Herdwatch.  We expect this to be available soon, but in the meantime you can upgrade to Herdwatch as their team will be able to assist with importing pdf files of the important reports into the program.   

When the wizard is available you will be able to transfer the following data to Herdwatch: 

  • EID numbers and other details for animals being transferred (e.g. breed, sex etc.)  
  • Next of kin (one generation either side of animals selected) 
  • Weights – for all animals being transferred to Herdwatch (includes next of kins if selected) 
  • Other traders 

You will also be able to transfer the following as reports available for viewing historical reference data within Herdwatch: 

  • Herd register 
  • Flock register 
  • Veterinary and medicine records 

Contact Herdwatch to initialise your move by calling 01594 480157 (9am-5pm Mon-Fri) or email farmplan@herdwatch.co.uk.   

What do I do if my support renewal is now?

First off – don’t panic!  You have time.  When your Farmplan support subscription (livestock, cattle or sheep) is up for renewal, you will receive a 12-month support invoice from Herdwatch for their cloud platform.  As part of that subscription, you can transfer to Herdwatch at any time and will continue to have access to support for your existing cattle and sheep software from Farmplan, until this ceases in May 2024.    

What happens to Livestock software after support finishes?

In May 2024 all Farmplan Livestock product support will end, this includes telephone support, product updates and connections to BCMS/ScotEID.

*If there are any changes in legislation between now and May 2024, these will not be included in the Farmplan Livestock products*

The software should continue to work however we cannot guarantee this.  Considerations include replacing your computer or the Farmplan software not being compatible with future Windows updates.

At the point of all Farmplan livestock support ceasing in May 2024 we recommend that customers make regular backups of their data and save or print the following reports for their records using a suitable start date to cover legal obligations:

General Reports/Herd register/Individual Animals/Movement Record register

General Reports/Holding Register Sheep/Holding Register 2010 and onwards

Vet and Med/Medicine Record Books

Farmplan Software Support

Phone Number

01594 545022

Email Address

farmplansupport@proagrica.com

Farmplan Migration Team in Herdwatch

Phone Number

01594 480157

Email Address

farmplan@herdwatch.co.uk 

Improving pre-harvest connectivity for more profitable farms

For growers, pre-harvest is the perfect time to take stock. Once T3 and T4 have been done and the last of the fertiliser has been applied, how can you best prepare for harvest and that all-important post-harvest analysis? Adam Joslin, Customer Success Manager at Farmplan, part of Proagrica advises growers to go back to basics and focus on good data housekeeping.

Get into good habits with data

Keeping accurate, consistent, and complete records will give you a far better understanding of what’s going on in your farm business. If you want to optimise output and profit, you need to manage what you’ve got, and to do that, you need to be able to measure how you’re performing.

“If you want to get your farm business into the best shape possible pre and post-harvest”, comments Adam, “there are some key areas to focus on”.

Tidy up your data

To avoid running into any complications later in the year give your data a bit of a tidy up. Check to make sure you’ve exported or you’re ready to export your field list, your field boundaries are correct, and check the output names match the crops types you are going to be harvesting so the products are correct in the terminal and in Gatekeeper.

Take stock of your financials

“Ideally, the harvest data you’ll be bringing in should complete the picture of how your farm business is performing”, continues Adam. That will be the case if you’ve been building up an accurate and consistent set of records all year. Good records are essential for accurate reporting and analysis, and they are a strong foundation on which you can develop your farm business.

When it comes to the financials, look at what’s been entered in Gatekeeper throughout the year. Are your fertiliser and pesticide applications up to date? Have you recorded any fixed costs? Once you import your harvest data into Gatekeeper, it gives you a cost per tonne of production. This means growers can see the cost per tonne of inputs like pesticides and fertilisers, and by inputting sale prices and yield data, they can see what they are actually making on every tonne they are selling.

Jonathan Storey, who farms 500ac of arable crops in Norfolk, says the software has helped him use his resources better and keeps track of his numbers.

Farming is changing more than ever and with inputs going through the roof we need to manage every single unit going through the spreader and sprayer to make sure it is working as hard as it can, Gatekeeper allows us to do this and pulls it through to a gross margin field by field whenever you need it.

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Managing stock and doing some housekeeping of your stock data is also important. Check that the prices are against the right things and everything is in order so you can prepare for doing some cost analysis and gross margin reporting once the harvest is in.

Make sure you have connectivity with your combine

Farmplan Gatekeeper software enables seamless data exchange between machines and between machinery and manufacturer. “ Coming soon to Gatekeeper is Agrirouter, a wireless integration which will give seamless single point of connectivity, to a wide range of manufacturers” says Adam. “This will make it easier to bring data from the field to the farm office”.

Far from making farm management more complex, Agrirouter is being hailed as the next logical step in improving connectivity and collecting the data that matters.

It’s all in the analysis

For growers who want a better picture of how their farm business is performing, it’s all in the analysis. Gatekeeper has an analysis module which combines data from every part of the program  in every year so you can run reports on every aspect of your data, from what you’ve purchased to what’s in stock, what fertiliser you have applied, and much more.

“We always recommend that growers head here before and after harvest”, says Adam, “this will ensure they get a detailed look at performance in every area of their operations”.

Good data matters

If you import data into incomplete or inconsistent records, the reports you create aren’t going to be as valuable. That’s why going back to basics and getting into the habit of keeping good data is essential.

But it’s not just about collecting data, the data needs to mean something so growers can make informed decisions. Jonathan Storey adds that Gatekeeper helps him do just that.

“We have such sophisticated machines now that can deliver precision decisions but we

need software to be able to handle the data so it means something,” says Jonathan. “ Gatekeeper does this so we can make decisions based on evidence.  To be successful, we need to farm data as well as the soil.”

Nuffield Scholarship

Announcement of renowned Nuffield Scholarship

Proagrica has announced its sponsorship of the renowned Nuffield Scholarship, a UK scholarship focussing on nurturing innovation in the agriculture sector and driving positive change.

Caroline Davis, COO at Proagrica, says the company is excited to create opportunity for individuals within agriculture. “We are delighted to partner with Nuffield and be able to provide opportunity to passionate and talented individuals to make a difference in the world of agriculture. The agriculture and food sectors are facing tremendous challenges and this scholarship is the right platform to foster problem-solving innovations.”

In this, Proagrica’s inaugural year, the successful candidate as part of their research, will explore opportunities for US and UK farmers and growers to integrate nature-based solutions into their farming practices.

Each year, Nuffield Scholarships are awarded to approximately 20 individuals working in farming, horticulture, forestry, or any supporting industry. Each scholar spends at least eight weeks abroad to research a chosen topic. At the end of the scholarship, they produce a 10,000 word report which is presented at the annual Nuffield Farming Conference. Their valuable research adds to the ever-growing agricultural knowledge base and many scholars go on to become respected thought-leaders in the sector.

Mike Vacher, Director of the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust, welcomed Proagrica’s sponsorship. “Nuffield inspires people to make a difference in the world of agriculture. This is achieved by developing those individuals who will shape the future of agriculture and of our local and global communities. We are delighted that Proagrica is sponsoring a scholar to help us lead positive change in farming and food.”

For anyone interested in applying for this prestigious scholarship, applications must be submitted by 31st July. Following an interview process for shortlisted applicants, new scholars will be announced in late October.

For more information and to apply, visit https://www.nuffieldscholar.org/scholarships/application-process

Web Grower

Simple, fast crop recording on the go

Gatekeeper Web Grower is the next generation in handheld recording allowing you not only to view field records but also capture inspection notes, create work plans and complete them whilst on the move. This is all managed through a web exchange process that passes data to and from your main Gatekeeper site. When you are back in the office you will be able to import the recorded data by simply clicking a button.

*Web Grower is available with a Gatekeeper subscription.

What are the benefits of Web Grower?

  • View field records including previous applications
  • Share and collaborate with colleagues on the farm
  • Confirm work done
  • Add crop inspection notes

Gatekeeper Web Grower will operate on all current smartphones, tablets and web-enabled devices that are able to run HTML.5 and have JAVA enabled.

If you would like to get started today, call our sales team on 0159454500 or complete a call back form and we will be in touch shortly.

Start your journey towards simple, fast crop recording on the go.