In my previous blog, I wrote about record-keeping and the importance thereof. This week we explore the various types of records that you should consider having when compiling your farm records. 

As previously stated, a farm record can either be a book, document, file (excel spreadsheet), or software that is used to keep track of the different activities that occur on your farm relating to your operations. 

Below are the various types of records that make up your farm records: 

Production records

Crop production records include planting, fertilising, harvesting, monitoring water ph levels, soil moisture, including pest and disease management. Each day you would record how many seeds/seedlings you planted, chemicals used to fertilise and spray for pests and diseases, and the number of kilograms /tons of crop harvested on the day.

Livestock production records may include recording the number of cattle, goat and sheep on the farm, their different breeds, when vaccinations took place, animal health checks (screening for any abnormalities and diseases) and the quantities of feed available (if necessary).

Employee Records
These relate to the number of staff members (permanent or contract) you have on-site for the day and absenteeism, their working hours and what activities they performed on the farm (i.e: planting, weeding, harvesting, packing),

Logistics records
These include the date and time of delivery, the name of product delivered and to whom (client/customer), the quantities (number of pallets or crates), the drivers’ name responsible for the delivery (if you have multiple drivers) and filing each delivery note/receipt. 

Sales records
These are records that have to do with the revenue generated from the sale of goods and/services i.e: selling price, customer, quantities sold, payment terms, discounts offered etc. 

Financial records
Financial records encompass the daily management of your accounting records: Vat, the interest charged, bank transactions, refunds, invoices paid or unpaid.   Note that the examples provided above are not exhaustive, but serve as a guideline of the things to consider when preparing your farm records. The important thing to remember about record-keeping is to be accurate and consistent with the records and they must be accessible to you at any given point in time.