Competing in Tough Markets: How Family Growers Can Stay Ahead on Quality and Cost

The input costs of American agriculture have risen in recent years. (Source: McKinsey & Company, 2023. Link)

Right now, many small and mid-sized growers are feeling squeezed. Market prices are soft, inputs are expensive, and it’s getting harder to compete with the pricing power of large operations. 

But the truth is, those big growers aren’t winning just because of their scale. They’re using smart tools, like Phytech’s automation and plant monitoring platform, to reduce their operating costs and improve crop performance.

And those same tools can give family growers a way to compete on quality and cost, without adding more labor or risk.

Automation Lowers Labor Costs, Especially Overtime

When markets are tight, every hour matters. One of the fastest returns Phytech provides is labor efficiency, especially in irrigation.

Most small operations rely on skilled irrigators who spend long days checking blocks, opening valves, and trying to interpret soil moisture or weather data. That time adds up, especially in peak season, when weekend and overtime labor become unavoidable.

Phytech eliminates much of that manual guesswork. Our system uses real-time plant data to send alerts when trees are stressed or when water needs are changing. Irrigators don’t have to patrol every block. They can focus their time where it matters, making decisions faster because the plant is telling them what it needs.

For small operations where one or two irrigators manage dozens of blocks, this often leads to a sharp drop in overtime hours and a big reduction in weekend labor. And unlike hiring more people, this ROI scales instantly across the entire farm.

Better Irrigation = Better Quality

Phytech’s agronomic monitoring helps small growers produce consistently higher-quality fruit, which is a key advantage in a down market.

When you irrigate based on the tree’s actual stress level, rather than a fixed schedule, you reduce the number of growth interruptions and avoid under- or overwatering. That leads to:

• More uniform fruit size

• Reduced stress-related defects

• Improved color and firmness at harvest

• Higher pack-out rates

In markets where pricing is tight, these quality gains can be the difference between a break-even season and a profitable one. 

In general, small family farms are not adopting precision ag technologies at the same rate as midsize and large-scale farms, hindering their ability to compete.

Smart Tech for Smaller Farms

Here’s the bottom line: the large players are using plant monitoring and automation to lower their cost per acre. That’s how they offer competitive prices without cutting corners.

But the same technology can offer even greater value for smaller growers, because every saved hour and every quality boost hits harder when you’re operating on tighter margins.

Phytech gives family farms access to the same high-level data and tools, without the complexity or high overhead. You don’t need a data scientist. You just need a window into how your plants are growing and when they’re under stress, so you can respond quickly, irrigate efficiently, and keep your operation competitive, even when the market isn’t in your favor.

Contact a Phytech Expert Today