Use of the internet and computer technology continues to grow on U.S. farms, whether in the farm office, freestall barn, milking parlor, field or pickup truck. As precision agriculture continues to grow, so does the need for devices and rural broadband access, based on data from a biennial USDA look at how farmers stay connected digitally.
“Farm Computer Usage and Ownership,” released in August, summarizes responses collected in the USDA’s annual June survey. Questions related to computer access and use are added to the survey in odd-numbered years. The 2023 computer usage estimates are based on responses from more than 14,000 agricultural operations and represent all sizes and types of farms.
Computer use continues to grow
The 2023 survey found overall farm computer access, ownership, internet access and computer use for farm business has increased in the past two years.
Nationally, about 85% of farms have access to the internet in 2023. Of those, 51% of internet-connected farms utilized a broadband connection, while 75% of internet-connected farms had access through a cellular data plan. About 23% connect to the internet via satellite, and just 2% still use a dial-up connection.
Farmers were asked about their use of smartphones and tablets. Based on survey responses, 82% of farms own or use a smartphone in 2023, and 32% own or use a tablet or other portable wireless computer. The use of desktop or laptop computers also increased 2% from 2021 to 69%.
The USDA survey also collected information on the use of precision agriculture practices to manage crops and livestock, which increased 2% from 2021. About 27% of survey respondents said they use technology to cover a wide range of management practices, including global positioning (GPS) guidance systems, GPS yield monitoring and soil mapping, variable-rate input applications, use of drones for scouting fields or monitoring livestock, electronic tagging, precision feeding, robotic milking and others.
Conducting business
About 32% of farms used the internet to purchase agricultural inputs, an increase of 3% from 2021. Additionally, 23% of farms used the internet for agricultural marketing activities, an increase of 2% from 2021. At the same time, use of the internet to access non-agricultural websites declined.
Unlike previous reports, the 2021 and 2023 Farm Computer Usage and Ownership surveys no longer provide data based on farming type or size.
