One of the biggest challenges facing agriculture today is changeable weather conditions. An extreme case was experienced recently in the UK where drought was declared in many of the UK's largest wheat growing regions in England. Then just a few weeks later this was followed by one of the wettest months on record and even led to a number of flood warnings.
Changes in weather conditions like this can have a huge impact on crops, pricing and wildlife and ultimately curb agricultural growth. With weather conditions becoming more extreme and varied these days, it is becoming more apparent that we need more accurate and timely information.
SMS alerts are proving to be a very useful tool to overcome these challenges within agriculture. For example, Makerere University illustrates how farmers in Uganda have dealt with problems of drought by developing a mobile-based early warning system and sending SMS alerts about the availability of water. This is expected to help farmers reduce lost cattle and increase milk production. Elsewhere, SMS message alerts are being used to send information on current weather conditions to improve crop yields.These types of alerts can send much needed information instantly, accurately and reliably which can significantly help farmers to plan ahead and respond to changing conditions much more quickly and effectively.
Fluctuating pricing is also causing havoc as farmers find it more and more difficult to get the best price in different markets. However, text alerts can give farmers current pricing information straight to their mobile handset. The International Telecommunication Union reports that farmers in India and Ghana are already using message alerts for these purposes and are achieving better pricing as a result.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations have also reported that fishermen are using SMS not only for pricing information but also for information on supply and demand within markets. This is allowing them to reduce waste substantially and even sell supplies whilst still out at sea! SMS text alerts are clearly proving to be a really valuable communication tool for farmers and fishermen as they are able to receive the crucial information they need quickly and reliably.
Given all the benefits of using SMS within agriculture, it is surprising that it is being adopted by the UK at a considerably slower pace than overseas markets, especially considering some of the extreme weather we have been witnessing recently. A survey conducted by Farmers Weekly concluded that 56% of farmers could not live without their mobile phones, which again highlights the enormous potential for SMS communications to be used widely within this sector.
At HSL, we have been providing SMS services since 1999 and agriculture is one of the many sectors which we serve. For further information on how HSL’s mobile messaging services can help you, please visit our website at http://www.hslsms.com/sectors/agriculture/.
Alternatively, visit us at:
http://www.linkedin.com/company/hay-systems-ltd
follow us on Twitter @HSLSMS
or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260
or email us at sales@haysystems.com
Changes in weather conditions like this can have a huge impact on crops, pricing and wildlife and ultimately curb agricultural growth. With weather conditions becoming more extreme and varied these days, it is becoming more apparent that we need more accurate and timely information.
SMS alerts are proving to be a very useful tool to overcome these challenges within agriculture. For example, Makerere University illustrates how farmers in Uganda have dealt with problems of drought by developing a mobile-based early warning system and sending SMS alerts about the availability of water. This is expected to help farmers reduce lost cattle and increase milk production. Elsewhere, SMS message alerts are being used to send information on current weather conditions to improve crop yields.These types of alerts can send much needed information instantly, accurately and reliably which can significantly help farmers to plan ahead and respond to changing conditions much more quickly and effectively.
Fluctuating pricing is also causing havoc as farmers find it more and more difficult to get the best price in different markets. However, text alerts can give farmers current pricing information straight to their mobile handset. The International Telecommunication Union reports that farmers in India and Ghana are already using message alerts for these purposes and are achieving better pricing as a result.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations have also reported that fishermen are using SMS not only for pricing information but also for information on supply and demand within markets. This is allowing them to reduce waste substantially and even sell supplies whilst still out at sea! SMS text alerts are clearly proving to be a really valuable communication tool for farmers and fishermen as they are able to receive the crucial information they need quickly and reliably.
Given all the benefits of using SMS within agriculture, it is surprising that it is being adopted by the UK at a considerably slower pace than overseas markets, especially considering some of the extreme weather we have been witnessing recently. A survey conducted by Farmers Weekly concluded that 56% of farmers could not live without their mobile phones, which again highlights the enormous potential for SMS communications to be used widely within this sector.
At HSL, we have been providing SMS services since 1999 and agriculture is one of the many sectors which we serve. For further information on how HSL’s mobile messaging services can help you, please visit our website at http://www.hslsms.com/sectors/agriculture/.
Alternatively, visit us at:
http://www.linkedin.com/company/hay-systems-ltd
follow us on Twitter @HSLSMS
or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260
or email us at sales@haysystems.com
