Making technology purchases

[lewiscranfield]

I'm an MBA student working on a project focused on understanding how pig farmers use cutting-edge technology, and how you buy it.

Would you mind answering just two questions for me:

When considering new technology for use on the farm, where do you learn about new products and who do you trust to give good advice?

How do you buy technology i.e. CCTV, AI monitoring software, other innovative tech? Is it direct from a manufacturer, from feed companies, from infrastructure businesses?

Any help that you can give would be much appreciated. I'm happy to share the results of my research if it would be interesting to you!

Thanks,

Lewis (Cranfield University)

 

[Pan mixer]

Currently the pig and poultry industry is on it's knees economically.. Certainly in my experience this has gone on a while in the pig job, new tech has been off the shopping list.

Stretching my memory back I usually buy through an agent or dealer as most maufacturers (the big ones anyhow) won't deal direct and are unable or unwilling to do the backup and repairs etc.

Having said that my latest bit of tech - cloud sow feeding came from a dealer and physical backup comes from him but electronic backup (and archiving etc) is done by the manufacturer in the US.