By Hentie Breedt*
In times of economic uncertainty, making the right decisions has never been more critical. Having a successful farming operation in South Africa means you need to set long-term goals that foster resilience.
Without a solid foundation, your farming operation may be facing an uncertain future. Resorting to short-term solutions may seem like the best decision today, but your farming operation will be ill-equipped to handle the challenges of tomorrow.
Technology is the underpinning factor that will provide your farming operations with the resilience it needs for a sustainable future. The decision to use technology applies to all aspects of a farming operation, especially when deciding on the correct mechanisation equipment to purchase for your farm.
If you rely on equipment alone to ensure the success of your operation, you may miss out on the opportunities that come with technological innovation.
To ensure the prosperity of your farm, your approach needs to be less equipment-orientated and more solution-driven.
Gone are the days when a tractor was just a tractor, or a harvester was just a harvester; your equipment has now become the means to a long-term, sustainable goal.
Therefore, this means you need to prioritise the latest technology to realise maximum efficiencies, optimal work performance, minimum downtime, higher outputs and achieve a higher resale value.
Solutions-driven technology can be applied to every level of mechanisation; for example, by using an efficient planter that optimises seed and fertiliser placement, yield percentages can be drastically increased.
As a farm increases in size and capacity, efficient data collection and management becomes essential. By introducing technology, data can be handled seamlessly. Data can be tracked and converted into appropriate and workable inputs for each step of the farming and cultivation process. Effective data management provides farmers with the insights they need to prepare for fluctuations in demand.
Whether it is soil preparation, planting, spraying or harvesting, technology will reduce fuel consumption while maximising profitability.
A sustainable, resilient farming operation is possible with the latest technology provided by John Deere. By monitoring the performance of your equipment over a distance, coupled with data collection processed by the John Deere Operations Center and JDLink™, your farming operation is built to last.
Technology is available to farmers at all levels and is designed with the farmer’s needs in mind. These innovations range from bolstered propulsion systems to driver comfort optimisations. With greater visibility and better lighting, you can keep your tractor going for longer: John Deere effectively connects machinery, people and technology.
Decision-making around future investments is crucial to ensure long-term success. One aspect of this is the resale value of equipment when it is no longer needed or needs to be replaced. Make sure you invest in equipment that, although it has a higher initial purchase price, will result in savings over its lifetime due to the latest technology. An almost assured high resale value offers an excellent long-term investment on the road to farming success.
The sustainability and success of any business is only as strong as its ongoing support structure, even more so in the farming environment. John Deere has one of the best dealer support networks in the world. We work hand-in-hand with our dealers to offer agricultural solutions, not only from an equipment and technology perspective but also with extensive after-sales support.
With trained technicians equipped with all the spare parts needed, our technology communicates service alerts in advance, directly from your equipment to your John Deere dealer, ensuring minimum downtime of machinery and tools, especially during critical times.
*Hentie Breedt is the Marketing and Communications Manager for John Deere Africa Middle East.
