Managing your costs effectively is so important when you run an agricultural business because it’s a volatile industry and one bad year could land you in some serious financial trouble. You need to find ways to cut back on your overheads so you can maximize profits from a good harvest to balance the years that are not so fruitful. There are a lot of ways to cut the cost of running a farm, but water use is one of the first things that you should always look at. It takes a lot of water to keep a farm going, which is very expensive, and it’s also an environmental issue as well. Agricultural businesses are coming under scrutiny and it’s increasingly important that you operate in an environmentally responsible way, so it’s vital that you cut back on water use. These are some of the best ways for agricultural businesses to use less water.
Smart Irrigation Systems
You’ve heard of smart products for the home, but did you know that they can be used in farming as well? There is a lot of new agricultural technology which is changing the way that farms operate and one of the biggest innovations is smart irrigation systems. You should already be using drip irrigation to deliver water directly to the roots and make more efficient use of your water supply. But smart irrigation systems will also connect to the internet and monitor the weather forecast so they can adjust watering schedules accordingly. That means that if it’s going to be particularly wet, you can save some water. It can also check the moisture levels in the soil and work out the best time of day to water. For example, watering at night is usually best because you don’t get as much evaporation. These smart irrigation systems will help you to save water and it’s better for the crops, so it’s a worthwhile investment.
Collecting Rainwater
Collecting rainwater is a simple way of cutting back on your water bill, especially if you live in a particularly wet climate. If you set up some farm water tanks, you can collect and store a lot of rainwater that can be recycled and used to water your crops. It’s a simple but effective way to cut back on the amount of water that you need to pay for.
Drought Tolerant Crops
Your choice of crop makes a big difference as well because it’s a lot cheaper to farm grow things that don’t require that much water. There are plenty of crops that are naturally found in arid areas, so they are very drought resistant. But researchers have also been breeding drought resistant crops for use in areas that have very low rainfall levels. If you swap some of your water intensive crops for these drought resistant crops instead, you will find it a lot easier to cut back on your water use.
If you use these methods to manage your water costs more effectively, you will be able to significantly increase your profits.
