What is farm management software?
Farm management software is an application that records a farm's daily operations, such as animals or crops, feed, health, stock, labour and sales, and turns those records into live numbers, alerts and reports. It replaces paper sheets, WhatsApp groups and spreadsheets so owners can see problems early and keep records ready for buyers, auditors and tax.
What does farm management software do?
Most farm management software does four jobs. It captures data where work happens, usually on a phone. It turns that data into numbers such as milk per cow, FCR or cost per hectare. It warns the right person when something drifts from normal. And it produces the reports a farm needs for tax, audits and buyers.
What does it record for each kind of farm?
Dairy farms record milk yield, breeding, calving and mastitis. Poultry farms record mortality, feed, weights and eggs by flock. Livestock farms record weights, daily gain, movements and treatments. Aquaculture farms record stocking, feeding, dissolved oxygen and harvest. Crop farms record planting, irrigation, sprays and yield. Apiaries record inspections, varroa and honey. Processing plants record lots, yields and cold chain.
Who uses it?
Owners use the dashboard and profit reports. Farm managers use alerts and records. Shed, parlour and field staff use the mobile app to log work. Accountants and auditors use the exports.
How much does it cost?
Pricing varies widely. Some tools charge per user, others per farm, per animal or per hectare, and enterprise systems are quoted. Decima Farm has a free Starter plan for one farm and up to three users, and a per-farm Grow plan with unlimited users.
How do you choose one?
Check that it covers your farm type properly, uses your country's units, currency and record rules, works offline, is easy for staff to use, and lets you export your data. Try a live demo with your own farm details before buying.
Frequently asked questions
Is farm management software the same as a farm ERP?
They overlap. A farm ERP usually focuses on finance, purchasing and inventory across a business. Farm management software focuses on day-to-day farm records and performance. Many products, including Decima Farm, cover both.
Do small farms need farm management software?
Small farms benefit when records start to slip or more than one person logs work. A free plan is a low-risk way to start.