askcust develops farm accounting software: seed, fertiliser, crop protection, fuel and field operations are allocated to fields and crops, so the cost per hectare and per tonne is visible during the season. For farms whose bookkeeping serves the tax office while the owner still does not know what a tonne of each crop cost.
Farm accounting software is a management accounting system that collects primary data on field operations, inputs, fuel and harvest and turns it into costs and cost of production per field, crop and operation. Unlike bookkeeping in the accounting system, it serves the owner's and agronomist's decisions rather than reporting; unlike an ERP, it does not run sales, purchasing and finance, only costs and results.
A field's costs come from the agronomist's work orders, the storekeeper's write-offs and the fuel sheets, and each source is kept by a different person. The software collects them per field and operation as they are recorded, so nobody has to assemble the cost per hectare by hand.
The software allocates machinery running costs (fuel, repairs, depreciation, operators' pay) to fields by machine hours, hectares or conventional reference hectares. The farm chooses the allocation base, and it is the same for all fields.
Every write-off of seed, fertiliser and crop protection products is linked to a field and operation with the actual rate per hectare. The agronomist sees deviations from the technology map for every field while the cause can still be found: a work order error, overuse or a different product.
The software takes input prices from purchase documents in the accounting system and sends write-offs back, so management and financial accounting rest on the same primary documents. Differences remain only where the rules differ, and a separate report shows them.
The harvest from each field comes into the software from weighing records or consignment notes, in gross and net (settlement) weight. Field costs are divided by the actual harvest, so the cost per tonne is visible for every field and variety.
Accounting can be launched in parts: field costs first, then machinery, harvest and the link to the accounting system.
Work orders, input write-off acts, fuel sheets and weighing records are entered from a phone or computer or imported from other software, with a field and operation in every line.
Field, crop, variety and operation as cost objects; cost items for seed, fertiliser, crop protection, fuel, operations and services, labour, land rent, machinery upkeep and production overheads.
The rate from the technology map is filled into the work order, the storekeeper or agronomist enters the actual quantity, and the software values it at batch prices and shows overuse per hectare.
Engine hours and worked area from work orders or telematics, fuel from fuel sheets or sensors, repair and maintenance costs; the cost of a machine hour for allocation to fields.
Harvest intake by field from weighing records, gross and net weight after moisture shrink and cleaning, and yield per hectare by field and variety.
Direct field costs plus allocated overheads, cost per hectare and per tonne by field, crop and variety, and comparison with previous seasons.
Actual field costs against the technology map plan, a ranking of fields by profit per hectare, the cost structure of a crop and trends over the years.
Bookkeeping and tax accounting stay in the local accounting system; the farm accounting software takes prices and reference data from it and returns write-offs.
| criterion | Excel spreadsheets | Ready accounting software | Custom accounting by askcust |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field cost | Calculated once a year, when the accountant finds time to merge all the files. | Calculated automatically by the product's method, which is hard to change. | Calculated during the season by your cost items and allocation rules. |
| Machinery costs | Split evenly per hectare or not allocated at all. | Allocated by the base built into the product, often one for all costs. | By machine hours, hectares or reference hectares, as the farm decides. |
| Link to accounting | Numbers are moved by hand, and every transfer risks an error. | Through a standard exchange, if it supports your accounting setup. | An exchange built for your setup: prices come in, write-offs go back. |
| Primary data | Work orders and write-offs are copied from paper, often at month end. | Entered in the product's forms, which do not always match your documents. | Entered in forms that mirror your work orders and acts, from a phone too. |
| Cost | Free, but it costs the accountant and agronomist hours every month. | A licence or subscription, often priced by area or number of users. | Development and support by agreement, with no per-hectare or per-user fees. |
| When to choose | One or two crops, a few fields and one person keeping the records. | Standard cost items and allocation rules suit you as they are. | Your own costing method, an accounting exchange and data straight from the field. |
Together with the owner, agronomist and accountant, askcust defines cost objects, cost items and allocation bases. The result is a written costing method that can be applied even without software.
Last season's field costs are calculated from spreadsheets and accounting data by the new method; the owner sees whether the result matches their understanding before development starts.
Work orders and write-offs by field go live first so that data arrives daily; the forms mirror your documents, and rates are filled in from technology maps.
The exchange of prices and write-offs with the accounting system and the allocation of machinery and overhead costs are set up; the first cost reports are reconciled with the accountant before the switch.
After harvest, weighbridge data closes the season: the cost per tonne by field is ready, and the method is refined for the next season after a review of the results.
examples of askcust's work →not agriculture, but the same kind of task: records, CRM, automation
No. Bookkeeping and tax accounting stay in your accounting system, such as BAS, and e-reporting stays where it is. The software keeps management accounts: it collects primary data from the field, warehouse and weighbridge, calculates costs per field and crop, and exchanges prices, reference data and write-offs with the accounting system. The accountant stops compiling work orders in spreadsheets, and the owner gets numbers for decisions, not for the tax office.
A field's direct costs (seed, fertiliser, crop protection, fuel, operations and labour) are collected from primary documents as they happen. A share of machinery costs by the chosen allocation base and a share of production overheads, usually by area, are added to them. The total divided by the field area gives the cost per hectare, and divided by the harvest in net weight, the cost per tonne.
Because it is calculated for other purposes and by other rules. In financial accounting under Ukrainian standard 30 on biological assets, as under IAS 41, harvested produce is usually measured at fair value less costs to sell, while management accounting shows the field's actual costs. Overhead allocation bases can differ too. The software shows these differences in a separate report so that they can be explained rather than hunted for.
Yes. From the accounting system the software takes item and counterparty lists and prices from purchase documents, so write-offs are valued at actual batch prices. Fields, areas, crops and past seasons' records are imported from Excel; rows that cannot be recognised are listed for correction. Past years are worth importing along with the fields, because without them there is nothing to compare the cost with.
Grain issued to landowners is written off from the warehouse at the book price and allocated as land rent to the fields where the leased plots lie. This way land cost is part of every field's cost per hectare instead of disappearing into overheads. Accruals and payments to each landowner, taxes and payment lists are kept in a separate land lease accounting module.
The cost depends on the number of cost objects, primary data sources and integrations, not on the area or the number of users. It is best to start with field costs, meaning work orders and write-offs, because they are the basis of the cost of production; machinery, harvest and the accounting exchange are added in later stages. After agreeing the method, askcust estimates the first stage with a fixed scope.
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