More farmers should be using AgExpert, Canada’s best-selling farm
business management computer program, says Farm Credit Canada.
And FCC wants to go beyond lending money to farmers. It wants to help
farmers become skilled farm managers.
That’s why FCC bought the company that owned AgExpert and will be
pushing its farm management and financial management software in FCC
offices across Canada, according to FCC’s assistant vice-president of
business services, Lyndon Carlson.
“We want to focus more on the financial area (of training),” said
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Carlson.
“This gives us an in to get up and running.”
Carlson would not say how much FCC paid for Settler Computer
Technologies Inc.
He said FCC plans to spend about $1 million translating the program
into French, improving it, and developing its internet component.
Carlson said many farmers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba already
use AgExpert.
Use in Ontario is not as widespread.
“There’s a great opportunity in Ontario to expand, and with our 100
offices we intend to make it readily available in all 10 provinces,”
said Carlson.
Some farmers have been using non-farm business management programs,
something FCC wants to stop.
“I think there’s a lot more you can gain from this kind of tool if it
is based on agriculture,” said Carlson.
FCC bought Settler because its owners wanted to sell the company,
Carlson said.
Settler was started in 1983 by a group of entrepreneurs who wanted to
set up computerized farm management systems.
The Regina-based company had one permanent office, a call centre and
booths at farm shows on which it relied for sales.
FCC wanted access to the program and didn’t want to lose the
opportunity to grab it. FCC will keep Settler’s entire staff of 22
people.
Carlson said FCC is no expert in software development, but he thinks
using software to help improve farmers’ business management skills will
directly complement the corporation’s desire to keep increasing its
role as a farm lender.
“We’re very interested in expanding our line of product offerings
beyond our core business,” he said.
