Polish farmers bought subsidised machinery, but do they use all its features?
Poland's «Rolnictwo 4.0» programme let farms buy modern precision-farming equipment. A machinery dealer's representative says some farmers do not use all the functions of what they bought.
Thanks to Poland's state programme «Rolnictwo 4.0» («Agriculture 4.0»), many farms have been able to buy modern equipment and software for managing production. The agricultural portal Farmer.pl raises the question of whether farmers make full use of what the machines offer, since the subsidy let farms invest in technology that had previously been financially out of reach.
The subsidy was an opportunity, but not everyone knew what they were buying
The equipment mentioned includes satellite navigation, automatic section control and variable-rate fertiliser application devices. Włodzimierz Spryszyński, a representative of the Polish machinery company Agroma, believes most farmers approached the purchases deliberately. However, he says a small group bought mainly because a subsidy was available.
The problem arises when a farm uses only the basic functions even though it paid for far more advanced ones. Spryszyński thinks the programme should have been preceded by a broader information campaign about what individual technologies deliver. While preparing offers and helping choose machines for applications, he often found that knowledge of their capabilities was still limited.
For example, a fertiliser spreader with a suitable controller does not by itself cut fertilising costs. Data on soil nutrient levels, application maps prepared from that data and the skill to use the information are also needed. Likewise, automatic section control on a seed drill or sprayer requires the operator to prepare the machine correctly and configure its cooperation with the navigation system.
The younger generation speeds up digitalisation
Spryszyński has also noticed a change: on farms taken over by a younger generation, working with terminals, computers and apps is no longer a major problem. Young farmers expect machines that are easier to use and can communicate with them via phone. Older farmers are also coping better with electronics, as the economic calculation is decisive, and production costs are increasingly analysed already when crops are planned.
A machine does not make decisions for the farmer
According to Spryszyński, the biggest challenge is no longer the availability of modern technology but managing the information it provides. Data from weather stations, pest-monitoring traps or yield maps can help plan treatments, but they cannot replace agronomic knowledge or an assessment of a specific field. The programme's success should be measured not by the number of navigation units or terminals bought, but by whether farmers can cut inputs and make better production decisions.
