Farm and Agricultural Business Financial Reporting

Farm and agricultural business owners increasingly understand the benefits of utilising financial reporting software specifically designed for the industry. Those charged with the responsibility of operating a profitable enterprise need thorough and accurate financial management, reporting and analytics to feed into business decisions that create a positive impact on the business. The pressures exerted on agricultural and farming operations during the recent recession have magnified this need. With the ability to access timely and accurate reports surrounding the performance of the business empowers owners and managers to make well informed decisions that can positively affect the bottom profits of the business, while providing the necessary documentation required by institutions for credit and financial purposes. Furthermore, this data allows farmers and members of the management team to accurately ascertain areas of underperformance, and more importantly, put in place procedures and policies that ensure that conditions that may lead to business failures are avoided.

Over the last several decades, the prevalence of more accessible technology in the form of both hardware and software, has been quickly adopted within the farming and agricultural environments. During this time, the increasing information technologies available to those in the farming and agricultural industries has changed substantially, with the development of specific accounting and financial reporting that is designed to meet the specific needs and nuances of the industry. Not only do the functions of such advanced software provide a simple and intuitive platform for accounting tasks, but incorporate some of the fundamental agricultural essentials into the process, such as stock management, crops and stock control, input and output analysis, amongst many others.

Recent research has proven the worth of such technology in the farming environment. In 2004, Nuthall examined the adoption and use of advancing technologies available to farmers in New Zealand, noting that the progression in both the affordability and performance of business financial reporting software had a direct correlation with the performance of such businesses involved in the study. Further data highlighted by the Agricultural Resources Management Survey found that farmers are increasingly utilising the internet for communication and applications that provide price tracking, online record keeping and data transmission to their clients and suppliers.

With advanced business financial reporting software now being within the reach of all, with functionality and features present that have previously been available to only those enterprises with large company budgets, all farming and agricultural business owners now have access to software that provides a level playing field. Ensure your business has the best tools available to enhance its management and performance.