Federated Farmers: Saving time on the farm is vital

Farmers need to have access to information more readily.

With more connectivity and communication, farmers have more time to make better, informed decisions, says Federated Farmers national dairy chair Andrew Hoggard.

Nowadays, farmers are expected to be more productive and environmentally aware and the technology available is helping optimise those requirements and how they are managed.

For the Manawatu farmer and staff, Vodafone's 3G wireless technology has numerous benefits: "We've turned our old paper-based farm manuals and checklists into a website which has a number of applications taking the place of the old checklists."

This ensures staff get access to information more readily. Instead of having just one large folder several hundred pages big, in one location, the information can be accessed anywhere via smartphones. Also, being digital, the message is no longer limited by words.

Mr Hoggard said: "We have photos and even a few YouTube videos embedded into the site for showing some of the more tricky repairs."

Data recording was made simpler with the use of phone apps, and hopefully as more applications became available, compliance with legal obligations would be far easier to handle and monitor.

"Having checklists now in a digital application format is really efficient. Being digital, I get electronic notification of what is completed and I can see that the correct procedures are being followed," he said.

There was a telling situation recently, which demonstrated the value of having such a tool.

"The Wi-Fi router in the cowshed was working properly but the tablet we keep in the cowshed was unable to login and we couldn't connect to the website.

"The checklists for setting up the cowshed, and draining the plant were not available. We were without it for a few weeks and it soon became apparent there were more mistakes than normal been made."

Mr Hoggard believes there is great potential for more labour-saving technology to be developed. He would like to see a smartphone being the remote control function for that technology.

"Being able to turn things on and off would be fantastic. Rather than having to drive back and forward to fix it and check to see if the repair has worked, you can save time and inconvenience with a smartphone," he said.

Another plus was the ability to record data when you were doing the job. With pasture readings you could enter them directly into the phone app. Through instantly recording the information, you can immediately make decisions from it. Technology means more leisure time too.

"It's quicker than perusing bits of paper. When you record it with a phone app, it's already done for you, and you can spend time with the family instead of the computer."