Farm software integration progresses

Farm software integration progresses

Farm software providers are making progress in responding to drystock farmers’ request for more integration.

A new data link between Farmax feed budgeting software and FarmIQ’s farm management software is the latest development. It means farmers who subscribe to both can now shift figures from their FarmIQ information hub to their Farmax feed planning system.

A 2012 survey by Farmax showed that around 65 per cent of sheep and beef farmers were frustrated by having to separately enter the same data into a number of software programmes. They wanted to see integration between systems.

Farmers are pleased to see the progress being made. Wairarapa farmer Mike McCreary, who runs a finishing operation on 540 ha-effective Kumenga Farm, says it’s a “huge advantage” to have a single point of entry.

“If you have multiple systems, you tend to keep one up-to-date; not all of them.

“Using these two together will give a more full picture of what is happening on the farm - which can be different from just the grass impact, for example.

“I will be able to use the combination to test a thought. I’ll be able to see the impacts of a production scenario on all the aspects of the farm operation and the farm business.

“It’s exciting to see the farm software companies providing integration options for farmers.”

Farmax chief executive Gavin McEwen says it’s about what works for farmers. “The uptake and use of these best-of-breed software systems is dependent on companies like our own collaborating to make them integrate. It increases the value proposition for farmers through reducing the amount of double entry of data required. We hope this is only the beginning and that the scope of the integration will increase over time.”

FarmIQ chief executive Collier Isaacs says the links give farmers the ability to choose what they want. “This way farmers will be able to put together the best suite of cloud-based software for their farm. There is nothing quite like the FarmIQ System or Farmax Pro, and we’re confident that the combo will be a good solution for many farm managers and farm owners.”

ENDS