The Farm Data Exchange proof-of-concept (PoC) pilot has demonstrated that a national, farmer-first data exchange system is both technically viable and strongly supported across the industry.
The completed PoC showed that the Farm Data Exchange can securely draw core farm information, including cattle movements, processor data and feed supply data, directly from existing databases.
This reduces the need for farmers to repeatedly enter the same information while making sure they retain full control over who can see their data and how it is used.
This capability aligns with feedback from farmers who face growing requests for information from governments, banks, assurance bodies and supply chains, often across multiple platforms that leads to duplication and inefficiency.
Results from the PoC and a survey of 450 farmers indicate that there is clear demand for the Farm Data Exchange to move beyond the pilot stage.
The majority of participating farmers described the benefits as practical and necessary, and over 50% said they would use the system if developed by AHDB.
Many highlighted how the automatic pulling of existing data significantly reduced administrative effort and duplication, saving time and therefore money.
One of the farmers involved in the pilot, Sophie Gregory, said,
“I’d always thought we ran a simple system, but once you look closely you realise absolutely everything is data. The most painful part is the duplication across so many platforms.