How agri-tech could solve some of your challenges 

These pain points can slow growth, reduce efficiency and make day-to-day operations much harder than they need to be.

The good news? Many of these issues could be addressed with the right technology, making your business more productive, sustainable and profitable.

What are farm pain points?

Pain points are the everyday challenges that slow down progress on your farm. They might be obvious, such as rising costs or labour shortages, or less visible, like poor communication between team members or inefficient record-keeping.

These pain points can generally be grouped into three main areas:

Operational issues: 
Issues that affect how smoothly your farm runs, such as inefficient fieldwork, poor soil management, or a lack of real-time data on crops and livestock. Delays in fieldwork, pest and disease outbreaks, inefficient use of resources, and lack of timely information can all reduce productivity. For example, missing the narrow window for spraying or harvesting can have a big impact on yields. 

Financial issues: 
Fluctuating input costs, unpredictable market prices and high levels of debt are constant worries. Many farmers have seen costs rise sharply in recent years, squeezing margins and making it harder to invest in improvements

Labour issues:
The tight labour market and ongoing issues with finding skilled staff is adding to pressures faced by owners and managers of farming and growing businesses

Supply chain issues:
Disruptions in getting the right seeds, fertilisers or machinery at the right time can halt operations. Labour shortages and transport bottlenecks only add to the pressure, especially during busy seasons

How agri-tech could help

Agri-tech refers to the use of technology to make farming more efficient, sustainable and profitable. This could include tools like sensors, drones, data analytics and automation to monitor crops, manage livestock and streamline operations.

Examples of how agri-tech could address common pain points include:

• Precision agriculture tools can help farmers address common operational issues, by monitoring soil health, tracking crop growth, and automating irrigation. Drones can provide real-time field surveillance, identifying pest outbreaks early and reducing crop loss
• Similarly, data-driven decision-making can help farmers and growers optimise input use, cut waste and boost profitability. Farm management software can simplify record-keeping and highlight areas where costs could be reduced – helping farmers and growers target their financial pain points
• Robotic harvesting equipment and drones are already helping farmers and growers manage ongoing labour issues, allowing smaller teams to manage more work efficiently 
• Digital platforms could improve communication with suppliers, automate ordering and help you track deliveries. This could reduce delays and ensure you have what you need, when you need it

Spotting these pain points and knowing which could be solved with agri-tech requires the right skills. Modern farmers need to be problem-solvers, data analysts and effective communicators. Understanding how to use new technology, interpret data and manage change is essential for making the most of agri-tech solutions

If you’re keen to learn how agri-tech can help solve your farm’s pain points, check out TIAH’s new online course, Embracing agri-tech: From evaluation to adoption.

It’s designed for farmers and growers, just like you to identify the right technologies for your business, overcome adoption barriers and measure the impact of your investment. The course is practical, free to access and tailored for UK farmers and growers, making it the perfect starting point for your agri-tech journey. 

Sign up to our upcoming webinar on overcoming the barriers to adopting agri-tech to find out more about how you could improve efficiencies on your farm.