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Farmers say broadband access in rural areas remains problematic
Broadband access in rural areas remains problematic, according to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.
Purdue’s Jim Mintert says producers were asked to describe the quality of their farm’s internet access.
“Just three out of ten people in the survey said that they had high quality internet access; roughly four out of 10 said they had moderate quality; 12 percent said they didn’t have internet access at all; and 16 percent said they had poor quality,” he says.
He says the need for better broadband quality in rural areas has been highlighted in legislative proposals at the state and national level, but some farmers still lack connectivity.
“If you think about all the ways we use computers and the internet in agriculture today, that suggests that there’s a significant number of people out there that really don’t have adequate internet access to really capitalize on the technology that’s available,” he says.
The Ag Economy Barometer is a monthly national survey of 400 U.S. agricultural producers.
Audio: Jim Mintert
