Sowing and harvesting: why farmers disappear from communication

From the outside, it seems that the farmer “just does not answer the phone”

Many traders, logisticians, suppliers of equipment and intermediaries face the same situation: during the season, farmers almost disappear from communication. The phone is silent, messages go unanswered, and attempts to quickly discuss supplies, purchases or logistics drag on for weeks.

This is often perceived as disinterest or poor organization. But the reality of agriculture is very different. During the sowing and harvesting campaign, farms live in a constant aural mode, where every day directly affects future profits.

For farmers season - It's not just a period of high load. These are a few weeks on which the result of the whole year depends.

The field dictates its rules.

In the agricultural business, it is impossible to simply “move the task to tomorrow”. Most of the work is tightly tied to the weather, soil moisture, temperature and state of the technique.

If there is a suitable weather window, the farm begins to work almost without stopping. The equipment goes into the fields early in the morning and can work until late at night. At this point, any external issues - negotiations, commercial offers, new contracts - They automatically fall into the background.

Two periods are considered particularly stressful:

• sowing;
• cleaning campaign.

It is then that the burden on farms reaches its maximum.

Why farmers rarely return calls

The main reason is very simple: during the season, most farm managers are physically out of the office.

Director of agribusiness during this period - It's simultaneously:

• organizer of equipment;
• dispatcher;
• supplier;
• fuel control;
• negotiator with mechanics;
• A person who constantly monitors the weather and the condition of the fields.

Very often, telephone conversations occur directly from the cockpit of the car or near the equipment in the field.

In addition, during the season, farmers sharply increase the number of incoming calls. They call at the same time:

• traders;
• fertilizer suppliers;
• carriers;
• elevators;
• banks;
• service services;
• technicians.

Against the background of this flow, most cold appeals are simply lost.

What a working day looks like in the season

During sowing and cleaning, the classic work schedule practically does not exist.

The day can begin at 5-6 in the morning with a detour of the fields and checking equipment. Next. - Continuous coordination of processes:

• where there is not enough fuel;
• What technique failed;
• which fields are ready to work;
• where the humidity has changed;
• Do the machines keep up?
• when it rains.

In many farms, work continues until late at night, especially if weather conditions allow maximum use of equipment.

During such periods, farmers live in a mode of constant time shortage and rapid decision-making.

Technology is the heart of the whole season

Modern agriculture depends entirely on technology. One broken harvester or tractor in the height of the season can stop a huge amount of work and lead to serious losses.

That is why during sowing and cleaning, the attention of the management is concentrated around:

• state of technology;
• availability of spare parts;
• work of service teams;
• fuel supply;
• loading machines.

Any failure becomes a critical problem that must be addressed immediately.

The weather window is more important than any negotiation.

One of the main differences between agricultural business and most other industries - dependence on nature.

Sometimes the farm has literally a few days to sow or harvest in optimal conditions. If it starts to rain, the equipment can stand up for a week. If you delay cleaning. - Part of the crop will lose quality or will die.

That is why farmers think in completely different categories during the season. It's more important for them now.

• to clear the field;
• finish sowing;
• not to lose crops;
• Maintain the quality of the grain.

Commercial negotiations are rarely a priority at this point.

Why Traders and Logisticians Need to Understand This

Many companies make the mistake of trying to work with agrarians in a season the same way as with a regular office business. But agriculture operates under completely different rules.

Intrusive calls, long presentations and constant reminders are more likely to cause annoyance than interest.

Much more effective are:

• short and clear messages;
• specifics on price and conditions;
• respect for seasonal loading;
• willingness to resolve issues quickly;
• Understanding the specifics of the economy.

Farmers especially appreciate partners who know how to save their time.

The best time to negotiate is not always the season.

In many cases, it is better to conduct full negotiations:

• before the start of sowing;
• after completion of cleaning;
• in winter;
• during periods of reduced fieldwork.

It is then that heads of households have the opportunity to calmly discuss:

• contracts;
• logistics;
• procurement of equipment;
• exports;
• long-term cooperation.

The real work of farmers is very different from the representations from the outside.

Non-agricultural people often present agribusiness as a relatively quiet industry. But in fact, the seasonal work of farms - This is a huge load, a high level of stress and constant dependence on external factors.

During sowing and harvesting, farmers simultaneously manage:

• technique;
• people;
• weather risks;
• finances;
• supplies;
• storage of crops;
• logistics.

And all this. - under extremely limited time conditions.

Season in agriculture - This is a time when the whole system is running at its limits. That is why it is really difficult to reach a farmer at this time: farmers simply do not have free resources for unnecessary communications.

For traders, logistics and suppliers, the main thing - understand the internal specifics of farms and build interaction with respect to the real load of agribusiness.

In agriculture, trust and understanding are often more important than any commercial proposal.