Low cost agritech offering subtle changes to farms

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• Nearly a fifth of farmers have invested or plan to invest in agritech, latest NFU Mutual survey finds 
• But 62% of farmers have yet to consider new agritech
• Small, accessible agritech can be part of solution
• New NFU Mutual agritech hub offers advice to farmers

The latest survey from NFU Mutual* has found that, in 2023, nearly a fifth of farmers had invested or planned to invest in agritech, up from 13% the previous year.

However, investment in and uptake of farm technology continues to be cautious, with 62% of farmers still to consider it.

Barriers could include financial, lack of knowledge about the technology or confidence to try something new. The perception that agritech is only suitable for larger commercial farms may be another blocker.

Yet experts at NFU Mutual say low cost accessible agritech, such as CCTV, immobilisers, weather sensors and RFID Eartags, can be a subtle adaption to a farming system which can make a huge difference to its productivity and efficiency.

To help farmers and rural businesses adopt agritech, NFU Mutual has set up a new hub with advice. The website comes as the Defra Secretary of State Steve Barclay urged farmers to uptake readily available technology at the Oxford Farming Conference on January 4.

Charlie Yorke, Farming Propositions Manager at NFU Mutual, said: “By their very nature, farmers are natural innovators, coming up with fresh ideas and methods year after year to improve their farm’s efficiency.

“Our research shows farmers are increasingly leveraging digital solutions to optimise their operations, enhance productivity, save costs and ensure sustainable farming practises.

“But a large proportion of farmers are still hesitant investing in agritech due to a number of factors.

“Although it may sound daunting, the adoption of agritech doesn’t need to be resource intensive or expensive.

“While some large farms have invested in complex and large-scale agritech such as self-driving vehicles, alternative fuels and data driven sensors, it is important to remember agritech can be implemented at any scale, large or small.

“Simpler technologies such as gate sensors, RFID Eartags or the integration of an online data system to assist with farm administration duties, are all forms of agritech.

“There are plenty of low-cost innovations which could benefit your farm, making them safer, more secure and more efficient.”

The new hub can be accessed at www.nfumutual.co.uk/agritech.

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For more information please contact:

Hannah Binns, NFU Mutual Rural Affairs Specialist

07779992619

hannah_binns@nfumutual.co.uk

Notes to editors:

* NFU Mutual Voice of The Farmer research conducted 20th March to 25th May 2023, interviewing 2,153 UK farmers.

About NFU Mutual:

NFU Mutual offers a wide range of products, including general insurance, life, pensions, and investments. These products and services are delivered through our network of NFU Mutual Agent offices, as well as through our direct sales and service centres. With over 280 local businesses located in rural towns and villages throughout the UK, NFU Mutual has become part of the fabric of rural life and remains committed to serving the needs of our members nationwide.

NFU Mutual is proud to deliver more than simply insurance. Making farming safer, supporting rural initiatives across the UK and helping to look after the environment are just some of the ways we do that. To find out more about everything we do to support our communities, visit https://www.nfumutual.co.uk/about-us/responsible-business