Keeping farm records that actually help you decide

Most farmers carry a remarkable amount of information in their heads: when each field was planted, which cow calved late, what the maize fetched last year. But memory fades, gets mixed up between seasons and cannot be shown to a bank manager or a buyer. Written records turn experience into evidence. They do not have to be complicated; a notebook kept faithfully beats a sophisticated system abandoned in the second month.

Why records pay

• They show which fields, crops, varieties and animals make money and which lose it.
• They let you calculate your real cost of production and set a sensible selling price.
• Banks, input suppliers and development programmes usually ask for records before they lend or support you.
• Formal buyers, packhouses and export markets increasingly require traceability: what was sprayed, when, and at what rate.
• Insurance claims and disputes are much easier with dated records.
• They help with tax and, where it applies, VAT.

What to record

Crop records, per field or plot

• Field name and size, and a simple map.
• Soil test results and lime applied.
• Crop, variety or hybrid, seed lot and planting date.
• Seeding rate and plant count after emergence.
• Fertiliser: product, rate and date.
• Sprays: product, registration number, rate, spray volume, date, weather and who sprayed. Note withholding periods before harvest.
• Rainfall from your own rain gauge, or irrigation applied.
• Pests, diseases and weed problems observed.
• Harvest date, yield and grain quality or grade.

Livestock records

• An identity for each animal, using ear tags, brands or a clear description.
• Births, with the dam and sire where known, and weaning weights.
• Treatments, vaccinations and dips: product, dose, date and withdrawal period.
• Deaths and the likely cause.
• Purchases and sales, with dates, weights and prices.
• Movements between camps, and grazing and rest periods.

Financial records

• Every sale and every payment, with date, amount and what it was for.
• Which enterprise each cost belongs to: maize, beef, broilers and so on.
• Money owed to you and money you owe.
• Loans, with interest rates and repayment dates.
• An inventory of assets such as machinery, equipment and animals, updated once a year.

Labour

Record who worked, on what, for how many days and at what wage. Labour is often the largest hidden cost, especially family labour that is never paid in cash but still has a value.

Keeping it simple

• Record things the same day. A notebook in the vehicle or a phone note works well.
• Keep all receipts and invoices in one place, one envelope or folder per month.
• Separate farm money from household money, ideally with a separate bank account.
• Set aside a fixed time each week to bring records up to date.
• Back up digital records, and keep a paper copy of anything critical.

Using your records

Records only pay when you use them. At the end of each season, sit down and work through a few questions:

1. What did each enterprise earn, and what did it cost? This gives the gross margin for each.
2. Which fields yielded best and worst, and why? Compare soil tests, planting dates, varieties and rainfall.
3. What did it cost to produce each ton of grain, each kilogram of beef or each dozen eggs?
4. Which costs grew the most, and could any be cut without reducing yield?
5. What will you do differently next season?

Key points

• Start simple: a field notebook and a cashbook, kept up every day.
• Record crop inputs, livestock events, money and labour.
• Keep farm and household money separate.
• Review records every season to find what makes money.
• Good records open doors to credit, insurance and formal markets.