With improved business outlook, farmers are ready to spend

With an improved business outlook, farmers are ready to spend

A third of farmers plan to spend on infrastructure and farm machinery
Rural newspapers and magazine are a primary news and information source

7 November 2014 - The latest Nielsen rural report shows the majority of farmers (56%) are expecting the rural business climate to stay the same over the next 12 months, nearly a quarter (23%) say it will get better and 14% believe conditions will get worse.

Tony Boyte said, “With an improved business outlook, farmers are ready to spend, be that shelling out for infrastructure or perhaps upgrading to that latest tractor or ute.”

In the coming year, around a third of farmers are planning to invest in infrastructure (37%) and farm machinery (31%). One-quarter are looking to buy or upgrade their vehicles (24%) and farmers are also looking to spend on finance (14%) and insurance (14%).

Boyte adds, “For retailers and manufacturers to unlock opportunities in the agricultural sector they need to keep their unique lifestyle in mind. Tailored content is the most effective, especially when they are considering new purchase items for the farm.”

Rural newspapers and magazines occupy a primary role for farmers news and information sources with 88% reading them. Nine-in-ten (91%) say rural publications help them find the latest products and services.

It is not just traditional media being used by the rural sector, farmers are also going online. 73% who use the internet at least once a month, have read online farming or rural news articles.

Boyte explains, “Today’s Kiwi farmers are digitally savvy with their use of technology being on a par if not ahead of the general population. Investment in communication technology illustrates how farms are run as a modern business. Access to the latest information via the internet can impact key decisions such as livestock sales reports, export schedules and up to the minute weather forecasts.”

About Nielsen's Rural Consumer And Media Report
The report delivers consumer and media insights across the rural sector including beef, sheep, dairy, livestock, crop and horticulture farms (excludes floriculture, vegetable growing, grape growing and forestry). The survey, in field from 11 July to 22 August 2014, has a sample of over 1,600 respondents and the data is weighted to Statistics NZ by farm size by type to represent over 46,000 farms nationwide. Results in the survey represent one consumer per farm. The standard deviation for the survey is +/-2.2%.

About Nielsen
Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and related properties. Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA and Diemen, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.

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