Agrinet

Agrinet or Irish Farm Computers (IFC) is one of the original farm computer packages on the Irish market. Agrinet HerdMaster has a number of functions.

It serves as a herd register and a bovine animal remedies register so is fully compliant with all Bord Bia Quality Assurance schemes. It also has a number of management functions, including liveweight recording, pedigree information and accounts, among others. The software is PC-based but can be accessed on mobile.

Agrinet costs €190 per year including VAT for beef farmers and €220 including VAT for dairy farmers.

For this, Agrinet clients also get full access to the grass management programme (normally €85) and Cashminder, its new web-based accounts package (normally €150 including VAT).

Farmflo

Farmflo is an online-based farm management programme developed by the Devenney brothers from Donegal. The current version is designed for tillage farmers and crop advisers. Farmers or their advisers can use the programme to manage crops.

Farmflo is fully mobile. Crop advisers can diagnose diseases and recommend spray programmes while in the field. This information can be emailed to the farmer and/or the chemical merchant, reducing time and duplication. It is planned to have a herd management programme up and running by the end of 2017.

The cost of Farmflo for an agronomist is €498 per year plus VAT. The cost for a farmer varies depending on farm size. The cost for a 51ha to 100ha farm is €61.38 plus VAT per year. This price includes a special offer of the first three months for 99c/month plus VAT.

Herdwatch

Herdwatch is the herd management app developed by the Farm Relief Services. It is fully web-based and users can log in on as many devices as they wish. It is primarily used as a herd register and for compliance with quality assurance schemes. The big selling point of Herdwatch is the ability to register calves from your mobile phone. It has since added new features, including breeding management recording, weight recording and animal movement notifications, among other applications. The cost of Herdwatch is €130 per year including VAT and it can be accessed from any number of devices including mobile phone and PC.

Kingswood

Kingswood was one of the first farm computer programmes available in Ireland. Like Agrinet, it has introduced new features and functions, including grass software, farm accounts and mobile functionality. Kingswood has three main offers to Irish farmers.

Kingswood Herd is a herd register, animal remedies register and management package. Kingswood Field App is for grass measurement and management and recording fertiliser and sprays. There is also a farm accounts package which can link bank statements and co-op trading statements.

The PC-based Kingswood Herd with mobile costs €150 including VAT per year. The PC-based programme on its own costs €100 per year.

The Kingswood Field App costs €100 per year but the two can be purchased together for €150 per year. The Kingswood Accounts programme costs €300 per year. All prices are VAT inclusive.

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