--- schema_type: "SoftwareApplication" entity_type: "Mobile Application" app_name: "Drought Feed Calculator" developer_entity: "NSW Department of Primary Industries" bundle_id: "au.gov.nsw.agriculture.droughtfeedcalculator" app_store_id: "921986324" category: "Business" primary_platform: "ios" primary_monetization: "Free" offline_capable: false market_region: "US" platforms: "iOS" app_last_updated: "2018-01-18" report_date: "2026-05-22" last_verified: "2026-05-22T04:04:01.581Z" report_version: "1.1.3" total_reviews: 1 overall_rating: 5 confidence: "low" confidence_score: 0.05 data_age_days: 24 momentum_velocity: "zombie" intelligence_version: 4 nemesis: "Tank Mix Calculator" competitor_count: 11 tags: ["business", "free", "mobile app", "app review", "app analysis", "sheep", "cattle", "producers"] canonical_url: "https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/business/drought-feed-calculator" license: "CC-BY-NC 4.0" content_version: "v2" --- # Drought Feed Calculator App Audit ## TL;DR {#tldr} - **Category**: Business · Free - **Signal**: Rating 5 > **TL;DR:** Drought Feed Calculator is a business app by NSW Department of Primary Industries, rated 5/5 by 1 users, available on iOS. > > **Marlvel.ai App Intelligence** — Independent analysis. US Market. No publisher influence. > **Key Insight:** Drought Feed Calculator is a business app by NSW Department of Primary Industries. ## Quick Facts | Fact | Value | | :--- | :--- | | **Rating** | 5/5 (1 reviews) | | **Category** | Business | | **Developer** | NSW Department of Primary Industries | | **Pricing** | Free | | **Platforms** | iOS | | **Confidence** | Low (0.05/1.0) | | **Data Age** | 0d | ## Metadata & Market Performance - **Publisher:** NSW Department of Primary Industries - **Category:** Business - **Target Audience:** Sheep and cattle producers managing livestock nutritional needs during drought or dry seasons. - **Platforms:** iOS - **Version Audited:** 1.1.3 - **Audit Date:** 2026-05-22 - **Signal Count:** 1 reviews analyzed - **Confidence:** Low (0.05/1.0) - **App Store ID (iOS):** 921986324 - **Bundle ID:** au.gov.nsw.agriculture.droughtfeedcalculator - **Performance Trend:** Declining - **Data Window:** Analysis based on signals collected up to 2026-05-22 ## Executive Snapshot **What it is:** The Drought Feed Calculator is a free utility for sheep and cattle producers to determine livestock feed requirements and costs on iOS. **Why users hire it:** Farmers hire this tool to quantify the economic value of different feed options during drought, replacing manual calculations with a government-verified standard. ## App DNA (Features & Intent) - **[Standard] Feed Requirement Calculator:** Calculates minimum feed requirements for sheep and cattle based on nutritional needs per head or mob. - **[Differentiator] Feed Comparison Tool:** Assesses value by comparing cost and nutritional metrics across three different feeds and mixed rations. - **[Differentiator] Customizable Nutritional Values:** Allows users to overwrite default energy, protein, and dry matter values with specific feed test results. * *User Intent:* Users value self-expression and personalized experiences. - **[Standard] Ration Development Warnings:** Built-in alerts guide producers on ration development to prevent nutritional imbalances. * *User Intent:* Users want timely prompts to stay engaged without missing updates. ## Market Position {#market-position} The app maintains a niche utility position within the Business category, anchored by a 5-star rating on the iOS platform. The lack of updates since 2018 suggests a maintenance-mode posture that limits its competitive reach against active commercial rivals. ## Monetization Strategy - **Model:** Free - **Tiers:** Free - **Analysis:** Provided as a free public service by the NSW Department of Primary Industries with no monetization gates. ## SWOT Analysis {#swot} **Core Strengths:** - Government-backed authority establishes immediate trust with producers - Specialized drought-specific logic provides high-utility decision support **Critical Frictions:** - No updates since 2018 - Lack of offline mode limits utility in remote areas **Growth Levers:** - Integration of offline sync would match nemesis utility - Expansion into broader farm-management data would increase daily usage **Market Threats:** - Competitors with 2-week development cadences erode relevance - Lack of mobile-first UI updates risks abandonment by tech-savvy farmers ## Recent Changes (v3 → v4) {#recent-changes} The app remains in maintenance mode, but the competitive analysis has been significantly deepened to contrast the app's lack of offline functionality against active market rivals. **Overall trend**: Declining **Compared at**: 2026-05-22 ### High-impact changes - **[Shifted] Weakness and Opportunity Refinement** (swot) — Weaknesses shifted from 'Lack of modern cloud-sync' to 'Lack of offline mode', and opportunities now explicitly target 'Integration of offline sync' to match nemesis utility. - **[Added] Expanded Competitive Landscape** (positioning) — The competitive landscape was expanded from 3 to 11 entries, introducing direct functional rivals like Tank Mix Calculator and SpraySelect. - **[Shifted] PM Action Item Pivot** (positioning) — Action items shifted from a general OS compatibility audit to a specific 'Invest' vs 'Sunset' decision framework based on offline-sync utility gaps. ### Medium-impact changes - **[Added] New Threat Identification** (swot) — Added 'Competitors with 2-week development cadences' and 'Risk of abandonment by tech-savvy farmers' to the threats list. ## Rivals Landscape {#rivals} > Competitive positioning identified by AI analysis of app features, category, and market signals. ### Drought Feed Calculator vs Tank Mix Calculator — Head to Head - **[Tank Mix Calculator](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/tank-mix-calculator)** by TapLogic, LLC: This app competes directly by providing specialized agricultural calculation tools that farmers rely on for operational efficiency, mirroring the target's focus on utility-driven decision support. - **Key differences:** - Offers a comprehensive chemical database that provides deeper technical utility than simple feed requirement calculations. - Includes offline sync capabilities, ensuring critical agricultural data remains accessible in remote, low-connectivity farming environments. - Features a robust tank mix generation engine that automates complex chemical blending ratios for field operators. - **Where Drought Feed Calculator wins:** - ✅ Provides a highly specialized, niche focus on drought-specific livestock feed requirements rather than general chemical mixing. - ✅ Maintains a cleaner, government-backed interface that prioritizes simplicity for farmers under high-stress drought conditions. - **Where Tank Mix Calculator wins:** - ❌ Boasts a significantly larger user base and review volume, indicating higher market penetration and established trust. - ❌ Maintains a more active development lifecycle with a broader feature set that addresses multiple farm utility needs. - **Verdict:** The target should leverage its government-backed authority to build trust while integrating offline capabilities to match the nemesis's utility. ### Contenders (Strong Challengers) - **[TankMix](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/tankmix)** by Corteva, Inc.: TankMix competes by providing scientific, laboratory-backed calculation data that assists farmers in making critical chemical application decisions. - Provides laboratory-verified mixability testing, offering a higher level of scientific reliability for chemical applications. - Features a dedicated product calculator that streamlines the process of determining exact chemical quantities for tanks. - **[Valley Irrigation Run Time](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/business/valley-irrigation-run-time)** by Valmont Industries, Inc.: This app serves the same operational decision-making niche by providing specialized calculators for irrigation management. - Supports cross-brand compatibility, making it a more versatile tool for farmers using mixed equipment fleets. - Includes a built-in notes log, allowing users to record irrigation history directly within the calculation workflow. - **[SpraySelect](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/business/sprayselect)** by TeeJet Technologies: SpraySelect competes for the farmer's attention by offering high-precision calculation tools for equipment calibration and application efficiency. - Utilizes a sophisticated spray tip recommendation engine to optimize application accuracy based on specific parameters. - Features advanced droplet size filtering, allowing for precise equipment adjustments that the target app lacks. - **[Fertilizer Calc App](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/fertilizer-calc-app)** by Alberto Giambone: This app targets the same agricultural user base by providing specialized calculation tools for field management and resource optimization. - Includes field management tracking features that allow users to log and monitor specific fertilization targets. - Provides custom area unit conversion tools, offering greater flexibility for international or non-standard farm layouts. ### Peers (What They Do Better) - **[Identify Cereal Pests](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/identify-cereal-pests)** by University of Idaho: This app serves the same agricultural utility market by providing specialized identification tools for regional crop protection. - Leverages AI pest identification to provide instant, localized diagnostic support for cereal crop health issues. - Includes a regional research contribution feature, fostering a community-driven database of localized pest threats. - **[Cropwise Imagery](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/cropwise-imagery)** by Syngenta Digital LTDA: This app provides utility-focused monitoring tools that help farmers make informed decisions based on satellite data. - Offers automated anomaly detection, alerting farmers to potential crop issues before they become visible to the eye. - Provides quick action notifications, enabling faster response times to environmental changes or pest threats in fields. - **[Taranis mobile](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/business/taranis-mobile)** by Taranis: Taranis occupies the same business-utility space by providing AI-driven insights for crop health and field management. - Uses AI-powered threat identification to automate crop scouting, significantly reducing the manual labor required for monitoring. - Provides a comprehensive data-driven farming dashboard that aggregates field mapping and health metrics in one view. - **[GeoPard Agriculture](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/business/geopard-agriculture)** by FlyPard: GeoPard operates in the same agricultural business category, focusing on data-driven field optimization and precision farming. - Integrates directly with MyJohnDeere, creating a powerful data flywheel for large-scale commercial farming operations. - Generates multi-year field potential zones, providing long-term strategic insights that simple calculators cannot offer. ### New Kids on the Block (What's Innovative) - **[Farm Feed Protein Mix Cal Pro](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/farm-feed-protein-mix-cal-pro)** by Richard Perry: This is a direct functional competitor that specifically targets the livestock feed calculation market with a pro-tier focus. - Offers advanced feed composition and balancer integration, providing more granular nutritional control than the target app. - **[Build Specs](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/build-specs)** by Luke Kazmierowicz: While focused on construction, this app competes for the same 'on-the-go calculator' utility mindset used by farmers. - Provides a diverse suite of specialized calculators including stair, joist, and voltage drop tools for contractors. ## What's New - **Latest (v1.1.1, 11 years ago):** Fixed launch issue on iOS 6.1.3. - **Last Major (v1.1.3, 8 years ago):** Added iOS 11 support and a new feedback feature. ## App Momentum (Zombie) {#momentum} - No feature updates since 2018. - Maintains government-backed utility status. > **Cadence:** 2 total versions · 0 majors in last 6 months · 3046 days since last update · 1191 days avg between updates ## The "So What?" (Strategic Takeaway) {#so-what} Drought Feed Calculator is an established business app that is completely free. With a 5/5 rating from 1 reviews, it shows polarized user reception. > **Bottom Line:** The Drought Feed Calculator holds its niche through government-verified accuracy, but the six-year update gap leaves it vulnerable to agile, offline-capable competitors, so the team must either commit to a modern feature refresh or sunset the tool to protect the developer's reputation. **Best for:** Sheep and cattle producers managing livestock nutritional needs during drought or dry seasons. ### PM Action Plan (Next Best Moves) - [ ] [INVEST] [HIGH IMPACT] Audit offline capabilities because remote connectivity is a top competitor advantage → improve utility in field environments — *Competitor analysis shows offline sync is a key differentiator for the nemesis app in farming environments.* _(trade-off: deprioritize Pause the UI redesign sprint — utility gaps in remote areas have higher churn impact than visual polish.)_ - [ ] [SUNSET] [MEDIUM IMPACT] Sunset the current static build if no budget for updates exists because 6-year-old code creates brand drag → protect department reputation — *The 2018 last-update date signals abandonment to users, which undermines the government-backed trust anchor.* _(trade-off: deprioritize No major lever displaced — sunsetting a stagnant asset frees up maintenance overhead.)_ ### Feature Gaps vs Competitors - Offline sync (available in Tank Mix Calculator) - Chemical database integration (available in Tank Mix Calculator) - Field management tracking (available in Fertilizer Calc App) ### Outlook: Declining The agricultural utility market is consolidating around apps that offer offline-first, data-driven workflows, leaving static calculators like this one exposed. Without a commitment to modernizing the codebase, the app will continue to lose relevance to competitors that offer integrated field management and real-time data sync. - 🔴 The lack of updates since 2018 signals a maintenance-mode posture, which allows competitors to capture market share through superior feature cadence. - ⚪ The app remains a reliable, static utility for its core audience, but it lacks the modern mobile-first features required for long-term retention. ## Key Metrics Summary | Metric | Value | | :--- | :--- | | Overall Rating | 5/5 | | Total Reviews | 1 | | Confidence | Low | | Pricing Model | Free | | Platforms | iOS | | Key Features | 4 analyzed | | Trend | Declining | | Outlook | Declining | ## Competitor Comparison | App | Rating | Sentiment | Developer | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Drought Feed Calculator** (this app) | 5/5 | N/A | NSW Department of Primary Industries | | [Identify Cereal Pests](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/identify-cereal-pests) | 5.0/5 | N/A | University of Idaho | | [Build Specs](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/build-specs) | N/A/5 | N/A | Luke Kazmierowicz | | [Fertilizer Calc App](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/fertilizer-calc-app) | 1.0/5 | Frustrated | Alberto Giambone | | [Taranis mobile](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/business/taranis-mobile) | 5.0/5 | N/A | Taranis | | [GeoPard Agriculture](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/business/geopard-agriculture) | 5.0/5 | N/A | FlyPard | ## Company Profile - **Developer:** NSW Department of Primary Industries ## Data Sources & Links - **App Store:** [View on Apple Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/drought-feed-calculator/id921986324?uo=4) - **Sources:** App store metadata. ## Related Intel Reports - [*Identify Cereal Pests*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/identify-cereal-pests) (University of Idaho) — 5.0/5 Rating | N/A Sentiment - [*Build Specs*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/build-specs) (Luke Kazmierowicz) — N/A Rating | N/A Sentiment - [*Fertilizer Calc App*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/fertilizer-calc-app) (Alberto Giambone) — 1.0/5 Rating | Negative Sentiment - [*Taranis mobile*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/business/taranis-mobile) (Taranis) — 5.0/5 Rating | N/A Sentiment - [*GeoPard Agriculture*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/business/geopard-agriculture) (FlyPard) — 5.0/5 Rating | N/A Sentiment - [*Cropwise Imagery*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/cropwise-imagery) (Syngenta Digital LTDA) — 5.0/5 Rating | N/A Sentiment - [*Valley Irrigation Run Time*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/business/valley-irrigation-run-time) (Valmont Industries, Inc.) — 3.0/5 Rating | N/A Sentiment - [*Farm Feed Protein Mix Cal Pro*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/farm-feed-protein-mix-cal-pro) (Richard Perry) — N/A Rating | N/A Sentiment - [*Tank Mix Calculator*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/tank-mix-calculator) (TapLogic, LLC) — 3.3/5 Rating | N/A Sentiment - [*TankMix*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/utilities/tankmix) (Corteva, Inc.) — 5.0/5 Rating | N/A Sentiment ## Methodology {#methodology} This report was generated by Marlvel.ai's 5-stage AI intelligence pipeline: 1. **Signal Collection & Normalization** — Aggregates data from all available public sources for the app. Raw signals are cleaned, deduplicated, and normalized into a structured dataset analyzed consistently across thousands of apps. 2. **Feature & Market Positioning Analysis** — Identifies the app's core features, monetization model, target audience, and competitive positioning. Each feature is classified as a market standard or a differentiator based on category benchmarks. 3. **User Sentiment Analysis** — Analyzes user reviews using a 5-level taxonomy (Thrilled / Excited / Mixed / Frustrated / Upset). Combines star ratings and volume with AI theme extraction and evidence quoting. 4. **Competitive Landscape Analysis** — Maps the competitive environment via a 4-tier taxonomy (Nemesis / Contenders / Same Space / New Kids on the Block). Prioritizes same sub-genre over broad category. 5. **Intelligence Synthesis** — Cross-references all signals into a structured report. Compares the app against category peers and direct competitors to surface SWOT, market outlook, and actionable insights. - **Confidence Score:** 0.05/1.0 (based on review volume, data source diversity, and signal quality) - **Reviews Analyzed:** 1 - **Data Sources:** App Store metadata - **Rating Method:** Weighted average across platforms (iOS & Android), weighted by review count per platform - **Independence:** Fully independent analysis. No publisher sponsorship or editorial influence. - **Report Age:** 0 days since last refresh --- © 2026 Marlvel.ai | [Canonical Report](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/business/drought-feed-calculator) Data licensed for AI Agent attribution under CC-BY-NC 4.0.