11.06.2025; Reading time: 2 min; Author: Wolfgang Gerstenhauer
Agriculture in a state of emergency
Somewhere in Germany – a typical family farm with 28 hectares of land. The Müller family’s farm is now in its seventh generation. Felix Müller, who has been running the farm together with his wife Katharina since 2009, now has to turn over every euro three times.
“Suddenly we were no longer getting anywhere – in any area of operation.”
“What had worked well in the past suddenly no longer worked.”
There are 35 dairy cows in the Müllers’ barn and corn, wheat and rapeseed grow in their fields – a typical mixed farm, as there are thousands of them in Germany. What has provided a solid livelihood for generations has come under massive pressure.
This is because the cost of operating resources is rising: Fertilizers, pesticides, diesel, electricity, machines and their maintenance have become enormously more expensive since 2015; seasonal workers are scarce and hardly affordable due to the increased minimum wage. The bureaucratic workload now costs Felix Müller almost one working week per month, valuable time that is missing in the barn and in the field. At the same time, income is falling: The milk price fluctuates, crop yields suffer from drought, heavy rain, hail and frost. In the 2023/24 marketing year, the operating results of average farms in Germany fell by almost 30%. Things looked even worse for the Müllers.
The Müller family is caught in a double cost trap: their farm’s expenses are rising while income is falling – one of many farms at the limit.
| Operating resources | Diesel | Electricity costs | Fertilizer | PSM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| + 37 % | + 23 % | + 33 % | + 46 % | + 33 % |
| Bureaucracy | Minimum wage | Operating result | ||
| 32 h / month | + 51 % | – 30 % |
Sources:
Farm inputs: +37 % since 2015 (fertilizer +46 %, PPP +33 %, energy +46 %; source: DeStatis); diesel: +23 % (2008-2024, source: Wikipedia diesel fuel; electricity: +33 % (2015-2025, source: Verivox electricity price development); minimum wage: +51 % (2015: € 8.50 → 2025: € 12.82; source: BMAS); bureaucracy in animal husbandry: 32 hours/month, of which 12 hours for documentation alone (source DBV); Operating results: -30 % in 2023/24 compared to 2022/23; DBV – Situation report 2024
Smart farming as the final adjusting screw
The only thing farmers can do is increase efficiency in all areas of their business – and today this can only be achieved digitally with the help of smart farming technologies.
In concrete terms, this means: smart sensor technology for soil, climate and plants; automation against diesel and time losses; AI for well-founded, timely decisions; digital punch cards against bureaucracy. This reduces the amount of resources and time required, which is the only way to stabilize yields.
Five levers that every farm can tackle step by step with the help of smart farming technologies:
1) Only use resources where they are really effective
What is it all about?
Water, fertilizer and crop protection are no longer applied “by feel” or time, but according to measured requirements. This is achieved by soil sensors (moisture/temperature), microclimate data and simple evaporation models. For fertilizer/PSM, application maps that divide fields into zones (variable rate) help.
What’s the point?
Less water, less fertilizer, less PPP, less diesel – and at the same time more stable yields because stress peaks are avoided.
Practical example Müller farm (28 ha, dairy farming + arable farming):
Irrigation is only started when the sensors in the root area report a defined threshold value. Instead of three times “to be on the safe side”, it may only run once or twice, but at the optimum time.
2) Managing crops – from seedbed to harvest, everything at a glance
What is it all about?
All relevant field data is stored in a dashboard: soil/plant and weather data plus images. There are also assistance systems: track guidance, section control, camera-assisted hoeing. Forecasts help with timing (sowing window, growth stages, harvest window).
What’s the point?
Fewer overlaps, more precise work processes, better deadlines and continuous documentation – this reduces costs and bureaucratic effort and protects the culture.
Practical example Müller farm:
Maize cultivation is planned according to soil temperature, moisture and weather window. The camera hoe runs when weeds are young and the soil is stable. Result: less PPP, clean crop.
3) Use machines & energy efficiently – plan journeys, avoid idling
What is it all about?
Telemetry shows where machines are located, how long engines are idling and which routes are being duplicated. Operations can be planned like tours: cluster fields, optimize sequences, bundle operations.
What’s the point?
Fewer empty runs, less idling, less diesel – and the same worked area in fewer working hours.
Practical example Müller-Hof:
The slurry and maintenance routes are planned digitally in advance. The tractor reduces downtime at the edge of the field and trips are combined. Result: noticeable diesel and time savings.
4) Bureaucracy that runs on the side – data automatically entered into the impact file
What is it all about?
Machine and sensor data is automatically transferred to the digital impact file. Checklists guide you through reports and verifications. Export formats (e.g. QS, organic, cross-compliance) are created with a click instead of a pile of paper.
What’s the point?
Less typing, fewer mistakes, fewer nerves – the unloved duty becomes a pleasant side issue.
Practical example Müller-Hof:
Irrigation start, application rates and weather windows are documented automatically. The monthly documentation block shrinks from one day to a few short sessions.
Ensure quality & market better – warehouse under control, batches in the system
What is it all about?
Sensors monitor storage conditions (temperature/humidity/CO₂), quality data is recorded per batch and made traceable with QR/batch. This allows batches to be specifically separated, sold or recycled first.
What’s the point?
Fewer losses in the warehouse, cleaner quality and a seamless history for retailers and customers.
Practical example Müller-Hof:
Grain batches are stored separately according to moisture/quality. A batch with higher moisture goes out early, dry goods stay longer – less loss of value.
