Virtual Management of farm – a step towards modernization

With the unanticipated shift from tasty food habits to healthy food habits, from animal fat to organic vegetables, agriculture has proved to be the constant mainstay, contributing essential nutrients, fruits, veggies, etc. Agriculture continues to be the backbone of the economy for the majority of the developing countries and even in some developed countries. It is the largest employment generator and occupation supplier in countries where the weather is suitable and is carried out almost every avenue in cold countries, like the USA. Therefore, taking the necessary steps for farm management is the call of the hour.

What is Farm Management?

Farm Management refers to directing and controlling agricultural farms by making considered decisions to secure maximum possible profit with the help of sophisticated farming programs. Farm Management revolves around the concept of effective allocation of scarce resources and falls under microeconomics. It solves the economic problem of resource allocation in the agricultural sector. With the combination of crops to be cultivated, the fertilizers and pesticides to be used, the tools and equipment to be used, the farm functions are effectively managed under this system.

Farm Management software and technique

In the era of tech-savvy, database management and data-oriented features are a boon to society. With the advancement of technology, the farming sector has also been on the technical world’s cutting edge. There is software available for effective management of the farm. Farm management software gives the farm a holistic view of the inputs to be used, crops to plant, and all other farm activities to be carried out on a real-time basis. This software provides information about the pest control measures to be taken, the kind of crops to be used, soil conditions and weather forecasts, rain predictability, etc. Farm management software combines the operational and Management information to improve efficiencies and hence proves to be cost-effective and increases the return on investment for the farmers.

Farm Management Software – a boon or bane?

The Farm management software is a favor to the farming sector as it not only provides a high return on investment nearly 20%, improves the planning and tracking facilities, and helps in predicting weather and soil conditions, but also:-

1. Farm management software prevents all kinds of risks. It makes timely predictions about the pest control measures, weather, rain, and natural calamities; hence, it alerts the farmers to take precautionary measures.
2. This software comes up with compliance with the global practices related to agriculture and other important mechanisms. With the help of these certificates, the farmers can produce high quality and a good variety of foods that are completely safe for consumption.
3. As this farm management software makes predictions and analyses about various factors affecting effective agriculture or farming practices, it helps to reduce the burden on the environment by avoiding excess use of fertilizers or water, using rainwater harvesting, and thus, promoting sustainable development.
4. The farm management software helps the work be performed with optimization, effectiveness, efficiency, and with the help of sophisticated tools and equipment for better performance on the field.
5. There are various varieties of this farm management software like budgeting and forecasting software, commodity management software, mixed farming software, livestock software, cropping software, etc. 
6. This software consists of farm mapping that is overviewing the farm in a digital form, recording and managing everything from paddock to other inventory, creating timely reports on the performance of the activities, accessing the success or failure, etc.

But as every coin has two sides, so when there are tremendous advantages, downsides follow.

1. The automation of farming affairs would create a crisis of unemployment in the agricultural sector which is presently the largest employment generator.
2. The farmers engaged in this sector are either illiterate or less qualified, so it becomes taboo for them to deal with such technologically upgraded software without expert guidance. It usually comes as a mobile application or website, or program.
3. This farm management software is quite expensive at the first and initial investment phases, which might not be affordable for the poor or even well-to-do farmers.

But all these problems come with a solution as the return on investment would be too high to cover up the expenses and earn profits. Plenty of loans are also available, and training is also available at finger’s tip for farmers to be well-versed.

Choice of right FMS and growth pattern

The selection of the right farm management software to be used proves to burden the farmers. This software is essential to make decisions regarding the effective allocation of scarce resources in the farming sector. Therefore, such software should be chosen which finds a complete solution to the problems and helps in quality management. 

• The software should provide insights into the daily operations and business activities of the farm
• It should offer proper crop management.
• It should provide an effective solution for every agro-business shortcomings.
• It should consist of necessary tools to promote sustainable farming, increasing return on investment simultaneously.

The mobile versions are easy to operate as it works without internet connection and the farmers can entry the data on the field after a task is completed. The utility of this farm management software like mapping of field, weather prediction, soil quality prediction is expected to grow around 14% by 2022. The agro-tech business is also getting a lucrative amount of venture capital investment, increasing at a rate of 80% a year for 9 years.

Conclusion

The Farm management software users are overwhelmed to have received numerous advantages from it, as now they cannot avoid the farming problems every year. The attributes of this software have helped increase food supply, and if it is implemented and upgraded from time to time, it can be the flag bearer of modernization in the farming sector.