If recent events have taught us anything, it is the importance of supply chain integrity and sourcing our food locally where we can.
For farm operators, staff shortages, particularly of seasonal hires due to a combination of Brexit and the pandemic, and the need to modernise the sector to manage budgets, has focused minds on the value of a connected IIoT solution to collect environmental and machine metrics to make more informed decisions and improve just about every aspect of work.
And it’s a sector that’s growing, with the market share for smart farming technologies estimated to reach $6.2 billion by 2021.
The automation of some functionality, thanks to robotic technology including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) is also gaining ground to support the push towards greater efficiency and profitability.
Sensor technology, IIoT, and data analytics can now draw together meaningful data about equipment, field conditions, crop health and a range of other factors to support smarter productivity and management with many solutions offering powerful dashboards for increased analytical capabilities and for in-built accounting and reporting.
For farm mangers who are embracing IIoT, the benefits can be significant:
Security of Assets
Gain real time knowledge of every machine in your fleet to quickly pinpoint their whereabouts and protect assets with virtual markers or geofences.
Proactive Maintenance
Schedule intelligent and proactive maintenance, through access to machinery records, critical alerts and hours reporting.
Increased Uptime
A range of data tools keep machinery working at optimum levels and provide access to product performance information.
Improved Utilisation
Track, view and understand the location of all of your assets to maximise performance and utilisation.
Targeted Data on Equipment Health
Access connected intelligence spanning machinery use and working time, service history, fuel levels, engine loads and idle times.
Farming has seen a number of technological transformations in the last number of decades, as it has become more automated. By using smart agriculture solutions, farmers are gaining better control of the process of raising livestock and growing crops.