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Farm Bureau releases results of ‘Big Data’ survey

A survey of farmers by the American Farm Bureau Federation shows that while more farmers are reaping the benefits of the latest agricultural technologies, most also remain wary of the risks involved with big data collection.

Farm Bureau economist Matt Erickson says liability was the number one concern of farmers surveyed.

“In the case of a data breach, who is liable for (their) farm data? The second issue is usage—how is my data being used by a company—and making sure that how a company intends to use a farmer’s data is specified in that contract,” Erickson says.

Erickson says the other big concern is privacy. “Making sure that the data is anonymous within each specific farm operation when a farmer uses this technology.”

Four out five farmers surveyed believe they retain ownership of their farm data, Erickson says.  Yet, it’s still unclear to most—more than 82 percent—how companies intend to use the farmers’ data.

The survey also shows that farmers are getting positive results from using precision technologies that collect weather data, analyze nutrient applications, map crop yields and more.

“Farmers indicated that their use of precision technologies reduced their input costs by 15 percent, as well as increased their crop yields by 13 percent,” Erickson says. “So I really think there’s a big success story there—and the importance of emphasizing the benefits of using this technology.”

Erickson says more than half of the survey respondents who are actively farming indicated that they plan to invest in new or additional precision and data technology in the next year or two.

AUDIO: Matt Erickson