Technology has changed the way most of us live and the way we farm. I was in graduate school in Texas during the 1980s when personal computers started to be used in agriculture. The understanding of computers and their value in management was still quite obscure at the time. As a graduate student, I assisted in a survey of Texas farmers and ranchers on their knowledge and use of financial management practices and computer use.
We found that 8% of farmers and ranchers owned a computer. When asked if they will invest in a computer if it has the potential to improve their management, 17% stated “yes” and 75% stated “no.” About one-third of respondents felt computers were not needed for management, and 28% did not feel a computer was a profitable investment. Judging by the comments several respondents wrote in the margins of their survey, it was evident most did not know how a computer could assist them in making management decisions. Some of the responses were:
“This ranch operation does not require immediate management decisions such as computers provide (a 20,000-acre cattle operation).”
“Pencils only cost 25 cents.”
“No advantage to owning a computer in a cow-calf operation with a 95% calf crop and weaning weights at 500 pounds”
“I make my own business decisions.”
On Aug. 17, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its “Technology Use (Farm Computer Usage and Ownership)” survey. According to the survey, 77% of Nebraska farmers and ranchers own or use desktop or laptop computers. That is up from 74% in 2021. Similarly, 85% own or use a smartphone, which is up from 80% in 2021. Farmers and ranchers in Nebraska are above the U.S. average in computer use as 69% of producers in the U.S. own or use a personal computer and 82% own or use a smartphone. Interestingly, 90% of farms in Nebraska reported they had internet access, just over the 85% of farms throughout the U.S.
How many of these electronic devices are used for conducting farm or ranch business? Nearly 40% of respondents stated they purchased agricultural inputs over the internet (up from 31% in 2021), and 31% stated they conducted agricultural marketing activities over the internet. Approximately 25% accessed USDA/NASS reports or other USDA services over the internet, while 27% conducted business with any USDA website. This compares with 62% of respondents that conduct business with any non-agricultural website.
Source: unl.edu
Photo Credit: pexels-flo-dnd
Categories: Nebraska, Business