Regina, Saskatchewan – Smartphone usage is up amongst Canadian agriculture producers, according to a recent Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Vision panel survey.
Three-quarters (76%) now own a smartphone, a significant increase since a similar survey in 2011. Increased usage corresponds directly to a decrease in the use of traditional cellular phones over the same period.
The study also indicates a growing willingness of producers to try new technologies sooner, rather than wait until they become well-established. Over one quarter (26%) say they are the first amongst their peers to try new technology. Three years ago, only 16% of producers surveyed felt they would be first amongst their peers to try new technology.
“This is relevant information for not only agricultural producers, but also all those businesses who serve them,” said J.P. Gervais, FCC’s Chief Agricultural Economist. “Canadian producers want to be competitive and they want to have information at their finger-tips to make wise business decisions and to do their jobs. They are obviously finding value in the technology and in an ever-increasing trend toward more and more online services. Companies who serve producers need to be thinking about where the future trends are headed, as well.”
Additional survey highlights:
- 76% of Canadian producers own a smartphone and 54% own a tablet.
- Of the 76% of producers who own a smartphone, the majority are using an iPhone (45%) while 33% use an Android and 14% a Blackberry.
- Among the tablet users, 63% use the Apple iPad, 23% use the Android and 6% the BlackBerry.
- Of the producers who own a smartphone and/or a tablet, nearly four in 10 (35%) use ag-related apps and 27% regularly use banking apps.
- Larger producers1 are more likely to use ag-related apps (47%) than small producers (29%).
The survey received 843 responses with a margin of error 3.37%, 19 times out of 20.
FCC is Canada’s leading agriculture lender, with a healthy portfolio of more than $26 billion and 20 consecutive years of portfolio growth. FCC is strong and stable – committed to serving the industry through all cycles, and to being socially and environmentally responsible. FCC provides financing, insurance, software, learning programs and other business services to producers, agribusinesses and agri-food operations. Employees understand agriculture and are committed to the success of customers and the industry. With FCC in the market, producers benefit, agriculture benefits, rural Canada benefits and so do all Canadians. For more information, visit www.fcc.ca. Follow Farm Credit Canada on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @FCCagriculture.
1 Large producers are defined as those with more than $500,000 in annual gross sales receipts; small producers are defined as those with less than $500,000 in annual gross sales receipts.