Exclusive: Farm Focus CEO highlights tech-driven transformation in farming

In a digital age where farmers face evolving challenges, Farm Focus, a New Zealand-based company specialising in farm financial management software, is positioning itself to lead.

"Farm Focus has been around for 42 years," said CEO Auriga Martin. "We're the largest provider of farm financial data. We help farmers in real time manage their costs, their revenue, their income… and the real-time part is really key."

Founded in the 1980s in Masterton, Farm Focus remains close to its rural roots. "Headquarters has been there since the 80s, and so it was formed by farmers," Martin explained.

The company is distinctly embedded in the farming sector, with a team that includes farmers who use the product themselves, making it both an authentic and effective resource.

Martin, a technologist with over 25 years of experience in the industry, joined the company in a leadership capacity a year ago. "It's a wonderful opportunity for me," she said. "I feel like the luckiest CEO in the world because I now have the ag sector and one of the best products on the market to help bring into the next chapter."

Martin's role has been pivotal in evolving Farm Focus's offerings. Under her guidance, the company has adopted a customer-first approach. "My role is very much to bring in that tech experience that I've got offshore and working globally… putting the customer at the heart of everything we're doing digitally," she added.

Farm Focus's growth strategy aligns closely with the unique demands of rural businesses.

The company has nearly 50 staff, including developers who work on product innovations from Masterton. "We have a wonderful product innovation team… building great value for a long time, decades," Martin explained.

This local expertise, combined with her technological background, has driven the company's development of real-time data feeds, an essential feature for helping farmers make timely and informed financial decisions.

Martin also highlighted the company's commitment to protecting customer data, especially as it begins exploring AI-based solutions to streamline administrative tasks and improve efficiency. "We are already experimenting with AI," she said. "Definitely not in any of our farmer data… a lot of the tools we use in development and in product innovation are going down the AI route."

The integration of AI has enabled Farm Focus to manage customer feedback more effectively, a process they refer to as "tickets." Martin explained that these "tickets" represent various forms of support requests, ensuring that the team can address client needs promptly and accurately. "Because we have over 10,000 customers and we're only a team of almost 50, we need to make sure that we prioritise and manage things that come in in the right way," she said.

As New Zealand's rural economy faces both generational and economic pressures, Farm Focus remains focused on supporting its core market of family farms. A significant challenge, Martin noted, is helping farms that may be lagging in their financial management. "We're probably pushing harder into the farms that maybe are a bit behind," she said. The company's aim is to empower these farmers with real-time data and tools, providing a foundation for better decision-making and, ultimately, more sustainable and profitable farming operations.

Martin sees this support as vital in the face of rising costs and economic uncertainty. "Inflation across farms has been as high as 19% the last two years," she explained. For many, these costs have made profitability more challenging. Farms that have used Farm Focus for decades have seen stability, but new customers often approach the company seeking tools for budgeting, cash flow management, and financial forecasting.

"Putting the farmer in the driving seat is really key," she added, underscoring the company's commitment to empowering clients to take ownership of their financial decisions.

Martin attributes much of Farm Focus's success to its strong relationships with customers. "The holy grail in tech is to always hear the word love when people talk about your product. And we hear that every day," she said. Martin recounted feedback from customers who say Farm Focus has not only helped them manage their businesses but also saved family relationships by reducing financial stress.

"The family CFO is often… the wife, and sometimes she's running the entire multi-million dollar business while her partner is out in the paddocks," she explained. "More family time… that's the true measure."

The generational shift in farming has also driven demand for Farm Focus's tools. Younger farmers are bringing new ideas, concerns, and business models, with many seeking alternative structures like share equity models. This shift, Martin noted, calls for innovative support from Farm Focus to ensure financial viability as new generations take the reins.

"The next generation is taking over now," she said. "And a lot of these next generation farmers can't actually afford to get into the family business."

For Martin, the task is not only about creating financial solutions but also about preserving the New Zealand farming legacy.

"New Zealand is inherently very innovative in the way Kiwis have farmed for decades," she said. Farm Focus, she believes, is poised to support the next generation by providing them with detailed, real-time data that will allow them to make quick and effective decisions. "They'll be making decisions in real time, out in the field, but also using AI as a support," she added.

Martin described the Farm Focus team as passionate and committed to their mission. "I have to tell people to stop working because they're so engaged in what we're doing," she said.

The team comprises people with deep farming knowledge and newcomers to the agricultural sector, creating a culture that combines expertise with a willingness to embrace new methods.

When asked about the future, Martin expressed her enthusiasm for Farm Focus's potential growth, particularly as more farms adopt digital tools. "We're a 42-year startup now," she said. "We've done everything for our customers in a really traditional way, and now we've invested in a completely cloud-based product… we can actually grow to new markets and actually help way more farms get to thriving."

Farm Focus's history and continued innovation are unique in the tech world. "Capturing data is a rare thing," Martin remarked. "The fact that we've got data from 42 years ago is unreal."

Farm Focus's role in New Zealand's agricultural sector, Martin believes, is essential.

"I believe that Farm Focus is the essential tool for any performance of the sector, for any of that increased growth," she explained. "As the country aims to boost GDP and export growth, having tools like Farm Focus can support this."

"The next generation really will embrace it, and that's what they'll need to succeed in this type of environment," she added.