Challenges faced by agricultural advisers when working with farmers

In brief

The biggest challenge for an agricultural adviser is not a lack of tools, but the lack of an up-to-date view of the farm. The adviser needs field history, treatment records, soil analyses, weather data, notes, photos and the status of recommendations. FarmPortal organises data on the farmer’s side, while FoodPass helps advisers, processors and distributors work with multiple farms.

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• Advisory work “by phone” is fast, but it often loses the field context.
• The farmer must retain control over farm data.
• FoodPass supports the planning of visits, audits, sampling, recommendations and documentation.
• FarmPortal and FoodPass do not replace the adviser. They organise data and the cooperation process.

What are the biggest challenges faced by agricultural advisers when working with farmers?

The biggest challenges faced by agricultural advisers relate to data, time, trust, documentation and responsibility for recommendations. Advisers often have to make decisions quickly, yet they do not always have a full field history, records of completed treatments, soil analysis results, crop photos or weather conditions.

It is a demanding working environment. During the season, one adviser may be taking calls about frost, crop protection, fertilisation, disease, drought, harvesting, audits and missing documentation at the same time. Without a digital farm history, some decisions depend on the farmer’s memory, photos sent through messaging apps and notes from previous visits.

In EU agricultural policy for 2023–2027, AKIS, or Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems, is linked to the modernisation of agriculture, knowledge, innovation and digitalisation. This shows that advisory work is increasingly treated as a process of exchanging data and knowledge, rather than as a single piece of advice. Source: EU CAP Network, AKIS.

The second issue is trust. A farmer may be concerned that a recommendation is connected with the sale of fertiliser, plant protection products or services, while the adviser does not always have a simple way to show which data the recommendation is based on. The discussion then shifts from facts to intuition.

The third issue is execution. A farmer may change the dose, timing, tank mix, machine or method of treatment, and the adviser may not always know what actually happened in the field. Without execution status, it is difficult to assess the effect of a recommendation reliably.

Why does an agricultural adviser need farm data?

An agricultural adviser needs farm data because an agronomic recommendation depends on the field location, soil, variety, growth stage, treatment history, weather, available inputs and production objective. Without this information, the recommendation may be too general, too late or risky.

The most important input data includes sowing history, crop rotation, treatment records, fertilisation, soil analyses, test results, field locations, GPS position, TERYT number, field notes, photos, weather data, satellite imagery, data from IoT sensors, GPS trackers and ISO-BUS loggers.

In practice, this information is often scattered. Some of it is on the farmer’s phone, some in Excel, some in a paper notebook, some in text messages, and some in accounting systems or documents prepared for ARiMR, a processor or an audit. The data exists. The problem is using it at the point of decision.

FAO indicates that digital agricultural advisory services can improve the availability, transparency and scope of information for farmers, but their effectiveness depends on digital skills and real access to tools. As of May 2026, this leads to a simple conclusion for Poland: digital advisory services must work for farms at different levels of technological maturity, including those where the phone is still the main working tool. Source: FAO, Guide on digital agricultural extension and advisory services, 2023.

Does the farmer control access to farm data?

Yes. In the FarmPortal and FoodPass model, the farmer decides who has access to the farm’s data and can withdraw that access. The adviser, processor or distributor should only see the information that has been shared within the agreed scope of cooperation.

This matters for trust. Data on fields, crops, treatments, fertilisation, costs, analysis results, photos and deliveries has business value. The farmer should not lose control over it simply because they use advisory support or work with a buyer of raw material.

FarmPortal is the farmer’s working environment and the source of farm data. FoodPass is the working environment for the adviser, processor or distributor. FarmCloud connects these layers as a data and integration infrastructure, but access must be based on permissions, the purpose of cooperation and the user’s informed decision.

How does FarmPortal help the farmer prepare data for the adviser?

FarmPortal helps the farmer keep farm data in one place: fields, crops, treatments, costs, machinery, workers, documents, notes, photos, weather, sensors and crop monitoring. As a result, the adviser can receive structured context instead of having to ask for basic information from the beginning.

In advisory work, field-level features are particularly important: treatment history, geotagged photos, soil analysis results, satellite imagery, weather data and field notes. These are the elements that help reconstruct what happened before the problem appeared.

The Crop Assistant can be treated as a crop digital twin in FarmPortal, meaning an organised view of crop condition, the history of actions and data signals. It is not a replacement for an agronomist. It is a tool for a better conversation.

The full range of modules is worth reviewing through the FarmPortal features for farm management, because in practice an adviser needs more than a single map: they need a combination of field data, documents, observations and work statuses.

How does FoodPass support the agricultural adviser working with multiple farms?

FoodPass supports the agricultural adviser as a tool for managing multiple farms: monitoring crops, planning visits, keeping notes, sending recommendations, analysing soil test results, calculating fertilisation needs, exchanging files and documenting advisory activities.

In the traditional model, the adviser keeps the list of farms in their head, calendar, spreadsheet or a generic CRM. In the FoodPass model, a farm, field, crop, note, analysis result, recommendation and document can all be linked to a specific working process.

This changes the order of work. The adviser can first check which farms have up-to-date soil analysis results, where treatment history is missing, where sampling has been planned and which reports require a visit. Only then do they make a call or go into the field.

FoodPass can also work as a CRM for agricultural advisers. This means a list of farms, address and registration details, contact history, visit plans, the adviser’s own notes, messages, files, recommendations and action statuses. Work becomes measurable.

In the FarmPortal/FoodPass model, the adviser can send a crop recommendation, and the farmer receives a PUSH notification in the FarmPortal mobile application. The condition for effectiveness is straightforward: the recommendation must be clear, feasible and linked to the data the farmer has actually shared.

How does FoodPass help processors and distributors work with suppliers?

FoodPass helps processors and distributors manage cooperation with farms through supplier, production, quality, sampling, document, audit, delivery and traceability data. The system does not provide automatic access to all farmer data. Access must be based on permissions and the agreed cooperation process.

For a processor, it is important to be able to connect field data with a product batch, delivery, quality inspection result, laboratory sample and audit documentation. For a distributor, farm segmentation, cooperation history, production needs and the ability to provide advisory services based on real data are also important.

FoodPass can support the preparation of documentation for retail audits, IFS/BRC, JIARS, Sanepid, quality requirements, traceability systems and ESG/MRV reporting. However, it should not be claimed that implementing the system alone guarantees compliance. Compliance depends on the process, data, procedures, people and the audit itself.

More product information is available on the FoodPass for advisers, processors and distributors page, while operational access to the tool is available through the FoodPass application.

What is the difference between traditional advisory work and advisory work based on FarmPortal and FoodPass?

Traditional advisory work often relies on conversations, notes, photos and the memory of the people involved. Advisory work based on FarmPortal and FoodPass adds structured farm data, recommendation status, documents, samples, field history and the ability to work with multiple farms in one model.

What might implementation look like for an adviser working with multiple farms?

Implementation should begin with organising the core data and only then move towards the automation of recommendations. The adviser does not need yet another place for loose notes. They need a process that connects farms, fields, visits, samples, analysis results and recommendations.

An agronomic adviser from Wielkopolskie Voivodeship works with 45 farms and around 1,800 ha of arable, vegetable and fruit crops. Before adopting a digital working model, the adviser uses a phone, text messages, photos, Excel spreadsheets, documents sent by email and their own notes.

The biggest problem is the lack of a single field history. The adviser does not always know whether the farmer followed the recommendation, what doses were applied, when soil samples were taken and which farms require an urgent visit after frost or heavy rainfall.

Once the work is organised, farmers keep their data in FarmPortal, while the adviser works in FoodPass. Farmers share selected data: fields, crops, treatment history, notes, photos, analysis results and documents. The adviser plans visits, sampling and recommendations, and recommendations reach farmers through the FarmPortal mobile application.

KPIs for assessing such an implementation include: time needed to prepare a seasonal summary, measured in hours; the percentage of fields with a complete treatment history; the number of recommendations with confirmed execution; the number of samples assigned to a field; the number of documentation gaps before an audit; and the number of visits planned in advance.

Results must not be treated as a guarantee. They depend on the discipline of entering data, the quality of photos, the timeliness of soil analyses, farmers’ readiness to work in the application and the way in which the adviser turns data into agronomic decisions.

How can a farmer and adviser start working together digitally?

It is best to start with a simple scope of data that genuinely improves decisions. There is no need to integrate every sensor, ERP system, laboratory and device from day one. First, it is necessary to agree what data the adviser needs, who will update it and who can see it.

Minimum scope on the farmer’s side

• list of fields and crops,
• sowing history and crop rotation,
• records of treatments and fertilisation,
• field notes with photos,
• soil analysis results, where available,
• weather data or assignment of a virtual weather station,
• files and documents needed for cooperation.

Minimum scope on the adviser’s side

• list of farms and contact persons,
• visit priorities during the season,
• sampling and audit plan,
• recommendation template,
• rules for confirming that recommendations have been followed,
• work metrics: response time, data completeness, documentation status.

For processing and distribution companies, the scope also includes contracting, supplier settlements, quality control, product samples, laboratory results, traceability, product passports and integrations with ERP, CRM, warehouse management and production planning systems.

FAQ

What are the biggest challenges faced by agricultural advisers when working with farmers?

The biggest challenges are incomplete farm data, time pressure during the season, fragmented communication, difficulty confirming that recommendations have been followed, documentation chaos and tension between advisory work and product sales. Advisers often work well, but under conditions of incomplete information.

What farm data is most important for an agricultural adviser?

The most important data includes fields, crops, sowing history, crop rotation, treatments, fertilisation, soil analyses, test results, GPS location, weather, photos, notes, IoT sensors and the status of recommendations. Without this information, a recommendation may be too general.

Does the farmer control who has access to data in FarmPortal?

Yes. The farmer decides who has access to the farm’s data and can withdraw that access. An adviser, processor or distributor should only see the data shared by the farmer within the specific scope of cooperation.

How does FoodPass help an adviser manage multiple farms?

FoodPass helps maintain a list of farms, plan visits, audits, samples and recommendations, analyse field data, keep notes, exchange files and send recommendations to the farmer. This allows the adviser to prioritise work rather than only react to phone calls.

Do FarmPortal and FoodPass replace the agricultural adviser?

No. FarmPortal and FoodPass do not replace the agricultural adviser. The systems organise data, documentation, recommendations and communication, but agronomic decisions still require the adviser’s knowledge, local experience and responsible execution on the farmer’s side.

How can an adviser send recommendations to a farmer?

The adviser can prepare a recommendation in FoodPass based on shared data, such as field history, photos, soil analysis, weather and notes. The farmer receives the information in the FarmPortal application, and the recommendation can be linked to the later execution of the treatment.

How does FoodPass support processors and distributors?

FoodPass supports supplier management, contracting, quality, samples, test results, audits, documentation, traceability, product passports and ESG/MRV data. The system helps work with farm data, but only within the scope of agreed permissions.

Where should a farmer and adviser start with digital cooperation?

It is best to start with a list of fields, crops, treatment history, notes with photos, soil analysis results and basic documents. The next step is to agree which data the farmer shares with the adviser, how recommendations will be sent and how their execution will be confirmed.

Glossary

Data-based agricultural advisory

A working model in which recommendations are based on field history, weather, treatments, analyses, photos and documents, rather than only on a phone conversation.

Farm Management System (FMS)

A system for managing a farm, including fields, crops, treatments, workers, machinery, documents, warehouse records and production data.

FoodPass

An application for advisers, processors and distributors working with multiple farms, recommendations, samples, quality, documentation and traceability.

Crop Assistant

A module supporting crop monitoring, field condition analysis and recommendations related to crop management, irrigation, protection or fertilisation.

Crop digital twin

A digital representation of a crop that combines data on the field, treatments, weather, observations, costs and production risks.

Traceability

The ability to reconstruct the origin of a product, field history, batch, delivery, sample, inspection results and quality documents.

MRV

Measurement, Reporting and Verification, often used in ESG, emissions and sustainable production.

ISOBUS / ISO 11783

A communication standard for agricultural machinery that allows data to be exchanged between the tractor, machine, terminal and farm management systems.

Summary

Agricultural advisory without organised farm data is reactive “phone-based” support, not a professional decision-making process. If the adviser is to be responsible for the quality of recommendations, they need access to current data, field history, analysis results, recommendation execution status and decision documentation.

FarmPortal organises data on the farm side. FoodPass helps advisers, processors and distributors work with multiple farms, plan activities, document recommendations, organise visits, samples, audits and quality processes. FarmCloud connects these elements into a data and integration layer.

Call to action: See how FarmPortal features and FoodPass help organise cooperation between the farmer, adviser and agri-food company, from field data and recommendations to documentation, samples and traceability. Operational access is available through the FoodPass application.