Kentucky farmers are finding ways to get the internet, which is beneficial considering the numerous systems and technologies that benefit agriculture today. Unfortunately, most rural areas face challenges incorporating the Internet into their daily operations.
The USDA indicates that “60 percent of farmers must use their mobile hotspot as their internet service, a slow, unreliable, and limited choice. Let’s review the ways that connectivity helps to support farming operations in each of the rural communities.
Connectivity In the Rural Communities
While Kentucky farmers are beginning to see the Internet on their farms, connections are not reaching rural communities where farmers still lack the benefit of the Internet. These services can support farming operations in so many ways. Let’s examine the advantages it can provide.
Automated crop monitoring
Pest management systems, smart irrigation, remote temperature control, and self-driving machinery each require connectivity. These systems offer improved operations and decrease human error, thereby increasing yield and profitability.
Drones increasingly promote smart crop monitoring and can help distribute fertilizer, pesticides, and nutrients or seed the fields. The drone will also collect data on plant health, GPS mapping, plant cover, and populations.
Livestock care/management
Smart livestock management helps farmers easily maintain their livestock by moving them, detecting illness, controlling barn temps, optimizing scheduled feedings, and monitoring vitals like heart rate and blood pressure.
The technology helps farmers detect and treat disease early and save time on routine checks. A solid connection is critical to ensuring the operations are seamless.
Farm surveillance/security
Making sure that the farm property is secure and safe is a primary concern for most owners. WiFi monitoring of a property in real-time can alert farmers of unusual activity. In that same vein, security systems will protect the physical structures like the barns, greenhouses, and on.
The farmer can screen the property wherever they are, any time, allowing full peace of mind.
Business/financial tasks
A sound internet connection simplifies business tasks like accounting, sales, employee paperwork/time tracking, and payroll. Farmers also benefit from using a VoIP system, checking the local market, and monitoring weather conditions.
The Unconnected Farmers Get the Internet
Many farmers across the globe, particularly in rural areas, are unable to reap the benefits of technology.
The internet is transformative in the agricultural industry, empowering farmers to access modern techniques and equipment along with real-time data to smartly farm and boost productivity, as we’ve discussed. Some reasons rural regions are without connection include the following:
- Farmers are unable to afford data plans, or the costs associated with smartphones
- Farmers don’t own smartphones
- Farmers are resistant to using the internet
- There is no internet provider
- The coverage is unreliable or poor.
Kentucky farmers have been given access, while farmers in other regions could miss out on the opportunity to grow their yield and profitability without internet access. Connecting the unconnected farmer and “leveling the playing field” is essential. Here are ways to bring the Internet to your rural area.
SMS services
SMS service is a common mobile phone feature. Farmers with standard mobile phones with 2G networks can receive alerts and updates on crop advisories, weather, government policies, market prices, and other worldwide informatics.
Free peer-to-peer services allow smaller-scale farmers to share details through SMS, enabling the dissemination of community-driven resources.
Voice-based helplines
Farmers with standard landlines or cell phones can access information by calling a toll-free number for help. These helplines connect farmers with agricultural experts who offer guidance and solutions for their challenges.
Community radios, TVs, and computer networks
In many remote and rural agricultural regions, community centers are set up with radios, TVs, and computer networks that offer internet connection.
These centers are run by the government or local agencies to broadcast information on a mass scale, particularly with an urgent situation or a crisis, such as severe weather conditions.
“Farm Radio” is an example of a non-profit international agency that associates with radio stations to educate farming communities in Africa.
Satellite Internet
Areas with little to no internet access find satellite broadband a boon to their communities. It needs no local infrastructure but relies on satellite to receive/send signals to the service provider, who will then route the signal to the farmer’s household modem. There is no cable wiring required with the system.
Services have been rendered to farmers as far as rural New Zealand successfully with satellite internet with improved and faster operations using the connectivity.
Final Thought
Much of what we do today in everyday living can be handled using the internet. That includes farming duties. Visit https://www.purdue.edu/research/features/stories/the-future-of-farming-relies-on-internet-connectivity/ to learn how the future of farming depends on the internet.
Agriculture is an inherently risky industry. Farmers must deal with incredible fluctuations in commodity pricing, unpredictable weather, policy debates, volatile input costs, geopolitical tension, and on.
The internet is continuously updating information that helps farmers monitor their risks with access to real-time market facts, weather conditions, and news. Farmers use vast strategies and tools to mitigate risk with production and markets.
The place to start, however, is with the internet. In 2023, roughly 85 percent of farmers, like those in Kentucky, showed in a USDA survey access to the internet nationally. Go here for details on “Kentucky Agritech.”
In today’s digital landscape, farmers are finding it necessary to be connected to the internet. Farmers can’t fall behind with the modern world’s thirst for information; instead, remaining up-to-date and relevant among the competition.
The internet is constantly improving, helping farmers upgrade their operations. Whether it’s market data, weather conditions, facilitating smart farming, or buying and selling goods, it’s a powerful tool that rural farmers need to have at their disposal.
Using mobile devices is among the most feasible and reliable ways for farmers to gain access. You can check with various carriers offering service in your local area and opt-in to their packages.
The satellite is also a viable, albeit somewhat expensive, alternative to the mobile option. However, it requires clear skies to achieve optimum performance. Although it might still be slow in coming, connectivity is coming to the rural farmer.