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