Herdwatch plans to double workforce over next three years

Farm-management software company Herdwatch has announced plans to double its workforce over the next three years.

The company based in Roscrea expects to create an additional 40 jobs during that period, with 20 of the new roles located in the company’s Tipperary headquarters.

Herdwatch, which was co-founded by FRS Network, a farmer-owned co-operative, is used on more than 15,000 farms.

The additional jobs will support the further expansion of Herdwatch as it seeks to reach new markets and also to broaden its current service.

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This will include measures to help farmers meet climate change challenges, beginning with the newly-released farm-mapping functionality.

As part of its research-and-development programme, the company has released what it calls “farm maps”, a new tool in the existing Herdwatch app which allows farmers to map their farm for free, using satellite imagery.

This tool is seen as a foundation stone for more advanced upcoming developments in the environmental sector, from precision soil health in partnership with farm-relief services to fertiliser and carbon emissions as well as carbon-sequestration management.

The new jobs will be created in the commercial and technology sectors, from customer support and sales roles to product specialists and software engineers – all with remote working opportunities.

As of Monday, the company has open vacancies for inside sales representatives, customer success representatives and product owners, as well as software and cloud-automation engineers.

Herdwatch chief executive Fabien Peyaud said: "We're so proud to have been able to help thousands of farmers and create so many jobs over the past seven years, so I am thrilled to be growing the team supporting and building the next phase of Herdwatch.

“We are taking this step because we want Herdwatch to continue to expand – helping more farmers in Ireland and around the world but also offering even more benefits to our existing members.

“Since we first launched we have been embraced by the farming community because we offer them a tool which really makes a difference.

“Using Herdwatch makes farm management easier, which is why we are the most popular farm-management app in Ireland and the UK and why a growing number of farmers use our app on a daily basis.

“We are also very conscious that the needs of farmers are constantly evolving and we are determined to ensure that Herdwatch evolves with their needs. We will be bringing forward a range of additional features within our app.”

Mr Peyaud said the farm maps tool would help the group’s 15,000 members in Britain and Ireland to “map their farm for free at the touch of a screen, see their field size and even colour code their land based on what a particular field is used for”.

“We believe this will revolutionise farm mapping for farmers and it is all part of the Herdwatch service,” he added.