Agricultural Economics Department
Date of this Version
8-18-2023
Document Type
Article
Citation
Van Tassell, L. “Technology Use Growing on Nebraska Farms and Ranches.” CAP Series 23-0802, Center for Agricultural Profitability, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Aug. 18, 2023. DOI: 10.32873/unl.dc.cap011.
Abstract
On Aug. 17, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its “Technology Use (Farm Computer Usage and Ownership)” survey. According to the survey, 77% of Nebraska farmers and ranchers own or use desktop or laptop computers. That is up from 74% in 2021. Similarly, 85% own or use a smartphone, which is up from 80% in 2021. Farmers and ranchers in Nebraska are above the U.S. average in computer use as 69% of producers in the U.S. own or use a personal computer and 82% own or use a smartphone. Interestingly, 90% of farms in Nebraska reported they had internet access, just over the 85% of farms throughout the U.S.
How many of these electronic devices are used for conducting farm or ranch business? Nearly 40% of respondents stated they purchased agricultural inputs over the internet (up from 31% in 2021), and 31% stated they conducted agricultural marketing activities over the internet. Approximately 25% accessed USDA/NASS reports or other USDA services over the internet, while 27% conducted business with any USDA website. This compares with 62% of respondents that conduct business with any non-agricultural website.