As Farmers Gain Experience Their Internet Usage Decreases

KANSAS CITY, MO – The more experience a farmer has in their operation, the less likely they are to buy farm inputs or access market information online, according to a report released by the Economic Research Service (ERS).

According to ERS researchers, 76 percent of first-year farmers buy inputs using the internet while only 41 percent of experienced farmers (1o years or more in business) do so. Also, 60 percent of the same new farmers will access price and market information from non-USDA sources while only 32 percent of the experienced farmers will.

First-year farmers also have the highest level of internet access (89 percent) and rely on it for everyday use. Ironically, experienced farmers are less-likely to have internet access (70 percent).