Turning farming into a tech business

New Zealand’s competitive advantage in farming will be maintained if we continue to invest in new technologies and systems to make the industry more efficient and profitable say business management software providers MYOB and Agrimap.

“New Zealand has always been a great place to farm. We can stay ahead of the game by ensuring our farmers have the latest technology systems to help them be more productive,” says MYOB New Zealand General Manager Carolyn Luey.

“We know farmers want easy-to-use solutions that capture information quickly and easily. They want to collaborate with their teams, suppliers and advisors in real time to help drive profitability. 

“On-farm technology can help farmers manage stock levels, pastures, inputs, workforce, compliance and cashflow. Bringing that all together with the farmer’s own knowledge and experience is hugely powerful,” says Ms Luey.

It is for that reason MYOB has partnered with innovative rural technology start-up Agrimap. The two businesses aim to bring together the benefits of modern cloud-based business management solutions with on-farm data and process management services.

“Agrimap is one of the new breed of innovative cloud-based rural technology companies that enables farmers to manage their business on-the-go, while MYOB has worked alongside New Zealand farmers for more than 25 years to help them succeed. 

“We’re always looking at new ways to help farmers become even more successful, which is why we are proud to be partnering with Agrimap. 

“MYOB provides farmers and their advisors with intuitive cloud-based accounting, payroll and business management software. Alongside Agrimap, we are putting together an easy-to-use solution that’s packed full of features to help farmers run and grow their farm,” says Ms Luey.

Agrimap CEO Andy Lowe says the package will allow farmers to plan and forecast, backed by easily accessible financials, and combines payroll, timesheets, and record management to ensure farmers have the right tools for team engagement, clear job management processes and to keep on the right side of Inland Revenue.

“The ability to breakdown activity by tasks allows farmers to budget with ease and track the productivity of their staff.  Farmers can easily report on the number of hours spent on key activities and compare team performance from one block to another or with the neighbouring farm.

“Agrimap allows farmers to log-in wherever they are to access all their farm records, compliance, job management and more. It’s a map-based technology that allows farmers to see exactly what’s happening on their land.

“We are farmers ourselves and we know the value of easily accessible data. Combining our map-based farm management technology with the power of MYOB’s cloud accounting software will give farmers a better handle on their business through technology,” says Mr Lowe.

MYOB and Agrimap are in the process of combining the relevant parts of their respective software solutions and are looking to launch a range of integrated farm management solutions soon. 

The two businesses will also be working on joint marketing activities and attendance at several events on the rural calendar, the first one being Central Districts Fieldays on 16-18 March.