Young woman manages Thai farm

Women are cultivating positive change in agriculture by embracing precision farming technology. One such trailblazer is 26-year-old Rattanawadee Yamsri, who is harnessing the power of connected farming to boost productivity on her family’s sugarcane farm in northeastern Thailand.

“The perception that agriculture requires immense physical strength and is more suitable for men no longer exists. Modern machinery and technology have significantly eased the physical demands of farming,” she remarked.

Rattanawadee oversees various aspects of farm operations including accounting, information management, and liaison with one of the country’s largest sugar producers. As a tech enthusiast, she is also empowering their farm workers by harnessing the Case IH Austoft 9000’s built in Advanced Farming Systems (AFS) Connect 4G telematics system.

Rattanawadee uses AFS Connect to monitor and optimize the machine’s performance from the comfort of her office or even on-the-go. The system enables her to ensure the farm’s productivity, which she aims to increase from 20 to 30 tons per rai.

“AFS Connect provides a comprehensive overview of the harvester’s performance, operating status, oil level, and usage notifications. This data helps me to efficiently oversee what’s going on in the field, from harvesting to transportation planning. I receive notifications when a problem occurs, and can seamlessly access remote maintenance and technical support,” she said.

AFS Connect is an integrated farm management platform. It features an array of tools for fleet monitoring, agronomic management, and data management.

Matthew McDonald, SEA Precision Technology Manager at Case IH said, “AFS Connect helps farmers and farm managers get more things done. It helps them make informed decisions in real-time. Features such as auto guidance make life easier for the operator while promoting improved harvests and sustainable production practices.” Rattanawadee said Case IH harvesters are widely used and popular in Buriram province because they offer harvesting capacity at lower cost. “The harvesters are fuel efficient, powerful, and high-tech. Moreover, finding spare parts is convenient as there are service centers located nearby.”