The Vegitable

SEPTEMBER 2016.
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The
VEGETABLE
SEPTEMBER 2016
Farmer
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SEPTEMBER 2016.qxp_VEG FARMER TEMPLATE 25/08/2016 14:21 Page 2
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CONTENTS
Organic sales increase .......................................................................4
Produce World awards......................................................................6
Diamondback moth EAMU .................................................................8
Season round-up ...............................................................................10
TC and N Taylor visit ........................................................................14
TH Clements visit ...............................................................................17
Huntapac Produce visit ...........................................................................21
Alternative marketing options...................................................24
Rufus Pilgrim profile ........................................................................26
International Robot event ............................................................28
Classified ..................................................................................................30
Tel: +44 (0) 1302 831911 - sales@haith.co.uk

www.hortnews.co.uk
RELIABLE
ROBUST
www.haith.co.uk
Buyers Guide ...................................................................................................31
This year, many growers feel they have

been running against the wind, and in some areas difficult weather
conditions have compounded the pressure they are under to cut
costs.
For many, whether a particular weather event hit a crop has been
just the luck of the draw. Localised weather has left some people
mopping up after almost monsoon-like heavy rainfall or hail, while
just up the road conditions were totally different.
Different weather conditions have led to widely varying disease
pressure, too. In some areas, growers have battled potato blight, at
times finding difficulties in getting on the land to spray at all. On the
other hand, in some parts of the country even trial crops inoculated
with late blight have failed to develop significant symptoms.
Brassica farmers in the south west came out of a difficult winter
resulting from last years unseasonably mild autumn, but have been
rewarded by good growing conditions accompanied by high demand
for some brassicas which has lasted well into summer.
Crop protection tools have played an important role, too. The lack of
the nematicide Vydate (oxamyl) this year meant many growers had to
look at other options. Nevertheless, the good news is that Vydate
should be back on the shelf again next year.
For carrot growers, changing restrictions on the use of Aphox was a
worry, however, Movento (spirotetramat) was granted an Extension
of Authorisation for Minor Use (EAMU) in carrots, parsnips, swedes
and turnips.
Brassica crops have been threatened by the diamond back moth
although an emergency EAMU was granted for Benevia 10OD for
use as an insecticide on Brussels sprouts, broccoli, calabrese,
cabbage and cauliflower just before Vegetable Farmer went to press
in the third week of August.
As maincrop potatoes now march towards lifting, many growers are
taking stock of performance. Some will have difficulties in achieving
the required quality standards and there is also a very real threat of
bruising this year. Growers must decide which potato crops will
store, and which wont.
Overall the season has thrown up a variety of challenges but as usual
growers have weathered these difficulties. However, with the
supermarkets continuing to battle over prices, sometimes the reward
for growers who face these challenges isnt sufficient for them to
reinvest and they may think twice about replanting some crops.
Given the weak pound, supermarkets need more UK produce not
less. We hope that buyers will become aware of the wider impacts
of their pricing decisions and realise that growing produce involves
risk - which demands a fair reward.
Soil Extraction
Grading, Inspection & Box
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HEAVYWEIGHT
THE VEGETABLE FARMER SEPTEMBER 2016
NEWS
Soil Association expects organic

market to exceed 2 billion
The Soil Association has said
that it expects the organic
market to exceed 2 billion this
year thanks to a potential boost
from Organic September.
Overall growth of organic
products sold through
supermarkets in the 52 weeks to
18 June has increased over 5%
this year. This years Organic
September, sponsored by
renewable energy company
Good Energy, aims to boost this
even further.
Clare McDermott, business
development director at Soil
Association Certification said,
Despite an uncertain market
following Brexit, Soil Association
Certification is positive about
the future of organic and we
expect this years Organic
September to have an even
bigger impact than before.
Market growth is already strong
and there is a clear demand for
organic, environmentally friendly
and sustainable purchasing with
many young professionals. The
UK will still be required to
comply with EU organic
standards as minimum to
maintain the flow of organic

products to and from the EU
and the Soil Association will
continue to influence and
improve the marketplace for
organic businesses.
The organisation highlighted
organic produce as one of the
areas where growth is
buoyant, but added that
organic meat is the star
performer. Soil Association
Certification also reported an
increased interest in conversion
to organic farming in the last
year.
Mark Haynes, Managing
Director at Gs Fresh
commented, Its clear that
there is a growing demand for
organic at the moment. Organic
September is a great way to
focus customers attention on
organic and link products right
through the supply chain, from
point of sale to producer.
Organic fresh produce is doing
very well so were really pleased
that the Soil Association is
continuing to support the whole
industry for an added push in
September.
Hazera Brassica Open Days

Hazera Seeds UK Ltd will be
holding its annual Brassica Open
Days on Wednesday 12th and
Thursday 13th October at Kirton
Holme near Boston. The event is
established as an essential
demonstration for growers and
will display a wide selection of
the companys brassica products
over an extensive site.
Varieties on show from
Hazeras own breeding, and
that of sister company Vilmorin,
will include the market standard
cauliflowers Boris F1 and Seoul
F1 along with cabbages,
broccoli, savoys and Brussels

sprouts from the catalogue.
Developments from the
breeding programmes include a
red Brussels sprout variety, some
promising new savoy cabbages
and a range of interesting
speciality cauliflowers.
The show is held by courtesy
of MW & CE Nundy and is open
from 9am to 5pm on both days.
Hazera representatives will be
present to provide information
about the products and
refreshments will be available in
the on-site marquee.
New Enza vegetable

sales specialist
Elizabeth Spray has joined
am looking forward to
Enza Zaden as a field
establishing a career with
vegetable sales specialist and
them. I have already learnt so
will mainly be based in
much about the company
Lincolnshire. Elizabeth, who
and industry in which it
has just finished 4 years at
works in my first month, and
Harper Adams University
am looking forward to
studying a BSc Agriculture
creating a customer base of
with Crop Management, will
my own.
be graduating
with a 2:1 in
September.
She spent
her placement
year at
Syngenta,
which first
sparked her
passion for
the vegetable
industry. She
already had
her graduate
job lined up
with Enza
Zaden before
finishing her
final exams
and started
with them on
4th July 2016.
Elizabeth
said; I am
excited to be
pursuing a
career with a
reputable, fast
growing seed Elizabeth Spray, Enzas new Lincolnshire-based Vegetable
company and Sales Specialist.
Paul Cripsey
We are sad to report that Paul
Cripsey, farm manager at F.B.
Parrish and Son, died in midAugust after a recurring short
illness.
Tim Chamen, of Controlled
Traffic Farming, writes: Paul
had been an active member of
CTF Europe for many years and
was an enthusiastic participant
in many of the events we held,
whether in the UK or elsewhere.
Paul was a pleasure to be with,
always smiling, always helpful,
always looking for new ways of
doing things and always
interested to know what one
had been doing. I feel
privileged to have known him
and, like many others, will miss
his good company greatly. He is
a sad loss to us all. We send

our sincere condolences to his
family, many of whom are
scattered across the world.
A memorial service will be
held on 17th September at St
Marys Church, Haynes, near
Ampthill in Bedfordshire.
www.hortnews.co.uk
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NEWS
Glassford Hammond Farming is Produce Worlds Grower of the Year

Carrot grower Glassford
Hammond Farming is Produce
Worlds Grower of the Year for
2016. Andy Hammond and Phil
Lilley from Glassford Hammond
received their certificate from
Produce Worlds Procurement
Director Paul Tracey during a
visit to one of the companys
farms.
Paul said: We asked our
Procurement Team to score
their growers against a number
of criteria and Glassford
Hammond Farming scored high
right across the board. Last year
they gave a great, all-round
performance growing
conventional roots for us, and
are always collaborative in the
way they work. 2015 was a
challenging year on roots, and
Glassford Hammond Farming
helped us out when we needed
them to go the extra mile.
Andy Hammond said: We
were surprised and delighted to
receive this award. I think it is
an acknowledgement of what
we try to do every day of the
week in terms of collaborating,
innovating and working to

deliver a high quality product
that meets the needs of
Produce World, their customers,
and, ultimately, the
consumers.It is also recognition
of the continual effort and hard
work put in by all the members
of our team, without whom
none of our achievements
would be possible.
For the overall Grower of the
Year category, onion grower
James Martin from Martin and
Sons at Wisbech was Highly
Commended. Produce Worlds
Head of Procurement, Paul
Tracey said: James delivers
consistently high standards of
quality year in year out. He
demonstrates a great attitude
towards ensuring that we are
kept compliant and is always
willing to help in any way he
can. He is a pleasure to work
alongside and proves that big is
not always best in growing
crops.
The award for Collaboration
went to Marc Heading of A &
EG Heading, Chatteris, which is
like Martin and Sons part of

the Greenshoots co-operative.
Marc was commended for his
collaboration in delivering
quality product to Produce
Worlds customers and his help
in storing imported produce.
The Innovation award went to
Joe Rolfe, General Manager of
Taylorgrown, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Produce World
which supplies organic
vegetables to the Group and
other customers. Joe has been
working on a number of
cutting-edge initiatives,
including biological control of
cabbage root fly.
Andy Hammond, Paul Tracey and Phil Lilley of Glassford Hammond Farming.
So
muc
u h
o
ore
...
Syngenta UK Ltd. Registered in England N

No. 849037. CPC4, Capital Park, Fulbourn, Cambrridge CB21 5XE.
Tel:
e 01223 883400 Fax: 01223 882195 Te
echnical Enquiries Te
el: 0800 169 6058 Email: cu
ustomer.services@syngenta.com Website: www.syngenta.co.uk
HALLMARK with ZEON TECHNOLOGY iss a Registered Trrademark of a Syngenta Group Com
mpany. HALLMARK with ZEON TECHNOLOGY (MAPP 12629) contains
lambda-cyhalothrin. Use plant protection products safely.
safely
y. Always read the label and prod
duct information before use. For further product information including
warning phrases and symbols refer to www.syngenta.co.uk Syngenta AG May 2014.
NEWS
Bejo Zaden Open Days
Hazera and Clause Dutch Open Days
Bejo Zaden will be holding its

annual Open Days opposite its
head office at Trambaan 1 in
Warmenhuizen, the
Netherlands, from Tuesday 27th
September to Saturday 1st
October inclusive, from 9 am to
5 pm (Saturday until 4 pm).
During the Open Days, guests
can visit the demonstration
fields to find out more about
Bejos worldwide range of
vegetable varieties, while the
organic demonstration field will
display the varieties included in
Bejos organic seed
Vegetable seed companies,

Hazera and Clause will hold
their annual International Open
Days from 27th September to
29th September in
Warmenhuizen, The
Netherlands, open from 9am
to 5pm on each day. The event
is an opportunity to view the
latest varieties, introductions,
improvements and
technologies in vegetable
growing.
Crop specialists from both
companies will be available to
answer any questions for
visitors. Crops on show
include, all cabbage types,
programme. As usual Bejo

representatives will be available
to share their expertise with
visitors.
Innovations in mechanisation
will be demonstrated at the
machinery show, and guided
tours of the Bejo facilities for
research, seed processing and
quality assurance will take place
each day. Refreshments will be
available in the main marquee.
For more information about
the Open Days visit:
www.bejo.nl or contact Elsoms
Seeds.
Brussels sprouts, cauliflower,

broccoli, onions, carrot,
beetroot, lettuce, squash,
leeks, radish, pumpkin, celery,
celeriac and endive.
New on the field this year is
a selection of varieties for the
hobby garden market such as
beans, lettuce and pumpkins.
A selection of fruited crops
including tomato, cucumber,
watermelon and others will be
shown in the pavilion.
Visitors can also subscribe to
excursions to visit leading
companies. Further details are
available at: www.hazera.com
(search for open days).
Bejos Open Days also feature an exhibition and demonstrations of vegetable

machinery.
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NEWS
Alice joins the family

business
Alice Tong, daughter of
Chairman Charles Tong, and
sister of Managing Director
Edward, has joined the longestablished family-run vegetable
handling equipment
manufacturer Tong Engineering.
In her new role within the
companys Sales department,
Alice will be liaising directly
with the companys growing
client base.
Alice, who gained her degree
at Bishop
Grosseteste
University in
Lincoln, has
grown-up with
the family
business on the
doorstep. Whilst
Im still getting
to know everyone
here at Tong
Engineering, I
know a lot of
faces from the
times I visited the
Alice Tong.
offices and
factory as I grew up! Its really

nice to see so many of those
faces still here after so many
years and Im really excited to
be an official part of the team
here now, said Alice.
Alice is a young and
enthusiastic addition to our
Sales department and of
course, I am delighted that my
daughter can now play a role in
the family business, added
Charles Tong.
Clause Brassica Open Days

Clause UK will display a range
of new and established varieties
at the Brassica 2016 Open Days
at Kirton Holme near Boston on
Wednesday 12th and Thursday
13th October.
An extensive selection of the
companys brassica varieties will
be on show along with exhibits
of horticultural machinery and
products.
The trial will feature marketleading varieties including
cauliflowers Chassiron F1, Naruto
F1, winter-type Jeroboam F1 and
new introductions that have
been bred to extend the range.

Also on the site will be cabbage
Guard F1, savoy Capriccio F1 and
demonstration plots of broccoli,
highlights being the early
selection CLX3528 F1 and
summer variety CLX3525 F1.
The Brassica 2016 event is held
by courtesy of M.W. & C.E.
Nundy of Windy Ridge
Vegetables Ltd and will be open
between 9am and 5pm on both
days, with refreshments
available. Clause representatives
will be on site to welcome
visitors and discuss products.
EAMU for Diamondback

moth control
A new 120 day EAMU
(Extension of Authorisation for
Minor Use) has been
authorised for Benevia 10OD
for use as an insecticide on
Brussels sprout, broccoli,
calabrese, cabbage and
cauliflower for the control of
Diamondback moth (Plutella
xylostella).
The Chemicals Regulation
Division played an important
role to ensure that
authorisation was identified as
a priority and rapidly
evaluated for UK Brassica
Growers.
Vivian Powell, Crop
Protection Senior Scientist

(Pesticide Regulation), who
helped organise the EAMU
working with members of the
Brassica Growers Association
said, It is great that we
worked with growers,
regulators and the
manufacturer to obtain use of
this new product that will help
them alleviate issues with
Diamondback moth.
Our work is all about
finding the solutions to
problems that work effectively
and efficiently and which can
be integrated into IPM
strategies.
British Carrot Growers demonstration

The 2016 BCGA variety
demonstration will take place on
Thursday 6th October 2016,
courtesy of Hobson Farming Ltd,
Yorkshire. The site has 64 carrot
varieties provided by 7 seed
houses including, Elsoms, Hazera,
Rijk Zwaan, Nunhems, Agri
Seeds, Clause and Seminis.
In addition to the variety plots
Syngenta and Bayer will be
demonstrating some of their

products, and each seed
company will be asked to submit
their best variety for evaluation
by the delegates so that a best
variety in show can be
determined.
Entry is free of charge and light
refreshments will be provided. All
who have a commercial interest
in carrot production are invited.
Rijk Zwaan Organic Open Day

Rijk Zwaan UKs Organic
Open Day is now a regular
fixture in the growers calendar.
The company have again
teamed up with The Soil
Association to introduce a
programme of technical
seminars along with the
opportunity to see the extensive
range of Rijk Zwaan organic
varieties.
This years event will take
place on Wednesday 14
September at Huntstile Organic
Farm in Bridgwater. Tickets are
12.50 which includes lunch
and you can book by entering
Rijk Zwaan in the search panel
on the Eventbrite website;
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk
www.hortnews.co.uk
Microbes will feed
the world
ithin the last century chemical fertilizers and pesticides steadily

became a mainstay in modern crop production. In more recent
times these relied on inputs have become heavily scrutinised and
significant numbers are now being displaced.
At long last the use of beneficial microbe products will allow microorganisms to play an important role in the further development of
sustainable intensive farming systems for both now and the future
Microbes in crop production
Andrew Gough
UK & Ireland Area Manager
Lallemand Plant Care
Beneficial microbes are useful in the production

of crops for different purposes:
Important things to check about

microbial products for agriculture
Increasing soil nutrient availability

with rhizosphere inoculants
The concentration and diversity of microbes
that is found in and around the roots of healthy plants is typically much greater than in the
rest of the soil. The roots provide sustenance for
these microbes through release of nourishing
exudates. In return, these same microbes promote plant growth directly by either facilitating
resource acquisition or stimulating the useful
production of plant growth hormones.
There are some very important things to check

when dealing with products containing microbes:
Genus, species and strain : these are vital
to qualify the identity and the beneficial
properties of each microbe.
Concentration : this expresses the number
of viable and active micro-organisms
present. It is indicated as Colony Forming
Units (CFU) per kilogram or per litre.
Purity : having micro-organisms stable,
regular and with no contaminants is
crucial, it requires know-how and specialist
production facilities.
Moreover, correct formulation, preparation
and application along with taking into account
all factors that could be harmful to the microorganisms is also an essential key for success.
Enhancing natural metabolic

processes and tolerance of stresses
with plant biostimulants
Plant biostimulants can be either microbes or
their derivatives which stimulate a range of
useful natural processes. They increase nutrient
uptake efficiency, enhance tolerance of abiotic or
biotic stresses and improve crop quality.
Preventing plant diseases and pests

with biopesticides
Microbes can be used as biocontrol agents
preventing proliferation of plant pathogens and
other pests. The incidence and severity of such
challenges can be reduced through direct effects
such as parasitism and/or disruption of crucial
systemic functions. In addition, microbes with
antifungal activities compete against pathogens
by rapidly colonizing aerial plant parts and roots,
using most of the available nutrients, and thus
making it difficult for pathogens to grow.
Contact : agough@lallemand.com
Why is Lallemand Plant Care Microbial by Nature ?
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Lallemand Plant Care researches, develops, manufactures and supplies
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www.lallemandplantcare.com
LALLEMAND PLANT CARE
SEASON ROUND-UP
10
THRILLS AND SPILLS OF THE 2016

GROWING SEASON
Agronomists and growers of different vegetable crops
from around the regions, share their thoughts about this
years challenges and successes in the field with Frances
Wright.
cold spring followed by

a prolonged wet spell in
late June made growing
good quality onion crops
challenging, reports specialist
agronomist Tom Will of
Vegetable Consultancy Services
(UK).
This year, soils took a long
time to dry back and warm up,
so establishment in many areas
was prolonged. In some areas,
the wet April led to soils
capping, and in many instances
establishment followed two
flushes, resulting in variable
crops.
The dull spring did not help
crops recover and by mid-May,
maincrop drilled onions were
three weeks behind the norm.
At the beginning of June
they started to pick up, but
Tom Will of Vegetable Consultancy

Services.
then the rain came, said Tom,

who advises growers
throughout the UK. Crops in
East Anglia were particularly
affected not least the
Norfolk/Suffolk border where
localised areas received up to
275mm of rain in June - half
their normal annual rainfall in
just one month!
Where these intense showers
occurred, all soil types suffered
from this onslaught. Heavier
soils slumped, and many of
them also saw significant
erosion. Lighter soils did not get
off any more lightly as nutrients
such as nitrogen, sulphur and

potash leached out, restricting
crop growth, resulting in yet
more expense to replenish the
lost nutrients.
Life did not really get any
easier in July either, as a sudden
swing to brighter, hotter
conditions stressed crops (many
of which had inferior root
systems following the previous
wet conditions). This heat and
moisture stress brought on early
stress bulbing before full
canopies were achieved, the
end result being crops are
unlikely to achieve their full
potential yield.
Stress bulbing tends to be
most common on lighter, sandy
soils, however any soil type in
poor condition may express the
same. As much of the UKs
9800ha of bulb onions is grown
on sandy soils and many heavier
soils had poor structure, the
Industry is likely to have a
reduced potential in 2016,
says Tom.
Potential is also lost by
aggressive Downy mildew
infections. First lesions were
noted on the over-wintered
crop in November 2015 and
this then proliferated during the
wet spring, particularly
attacking early-set varieties and
also completely destroying
some organic sets, continues
Tom.
The maincrop has largely
fought off the downy mildew,
assisted by periods of high UV
in July/August, however stressed
crops have been more
predisposed to it, and therefore
further potential has been lost.
Just when we all thought the
worst was over, severe hail
storms carved paths through
East Anglia, in some case
completely destroying crops,
says Tom. I have recorded
nearly 250ha that have been
severely damaged, many of
which are now no longer
viable.
But the rocky ride for
Severe hail storms hit onions in East Anglia (courtesy Tom Will).
growers woes do not end

high street prices is fragmenting
there. Tom explains: There is a
our industry, with many
lot of competition on the high
growers diversifying away from
street, and as the supermarkets
vegetable production.
battle for supremacy, prices are
Carrot crop update
under ever increasing pressure,
Carrot crop quality is good
undermining not only growers
this year, although yields so far
ability to reinvest but more
have been average, reports
critically survive in the short to
Tom. This is a big improvement
medium term.
on last year, when carrot crops
Many growers will be
were crippled, with damage
questioning whether they
should be growing onions at all from virus-carrying aphids
and in my experience those that causing yield losses of up to 50
per cent. As a result, support by
best understand their costs,
often being the better growers, the AHDB led to an Extension
of Authorisation for Minor Use
are first to question. This is not
(EAMU) for Movento
a healthy predicament for the
(spirotetramat) in May this year
future of our sector.
to supplement the now
With the continual loss of
restricted use of Aphox.
pesticides and increased input
costs, growers
need to reinvest
to help improve
productivity and
efficiency. I
believe whilst
the multiple
retailers have
driven
improvements
in
professionalism
to date, now
their obsession
Cavity spot has been a challenge this season.
with reducing
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SEASON ROUND-UP
12
With Cruiser (thiamethoxam)

seed treatment, most farms
have significantly improved
control of the first flight of
aphid and the levels of Yellow
Leaf Virus have been notably
lower this season, he adds.
The wet conditions have
allowed early scleroctinia.
However, with a full
complement of good fungicides
and the recent dry weather, this
has not developed throughout
the crop. To date very few foliar
diseases have been observed.
First generation Carrot Fly
has been modest but the
second generation has been far
more significant. With improved
Carrot Fly control strategies
this should not be a major
issue.
Perhaps the greatest
challenge, as in most seasons, is
the control of Cavity Spot.
Suggestions have been that
large swings from wet to dry
soils may cause lateral root die
back that in turn leaves an
injury site for Pythium (or
bacteria) to infect the plant,
causing Cavity Spot-like lesions.
Given the season to date, those
that have not closely monitored
but as Syngenta
trials have
suggested,
fungicide
treatments into
the autumn are
necessary to
protect against
canker in the late
storage crops.
Cornish
brassicas on
the up
Ellis Luckhurst.
soil moisture may be at a

greater risk, says Tom.
Parsnip prospects
pick up
The story for parsnips is
similar; although early bulking
in June was slow, they have
now picked up and prospects
look good, says Tom. There are
no major issues, but it is
important to keep on top of
foliar disease and canker in
particular.
The approval of Reflect
(isopyrazam) has helped boost
our protection against canker,
This summer,
the weather has
been kind to
Cornwall. Late-season planting
has gone well and a decent day
of rain in late July has watered
it all in really well, says Ellis
Luckhurst, who does technical
management plus some
agronomy at Hayle-based
Riviera Produce.
Crop protection is playing a
really important role this year:
The threat from the diamond
back moth has also been
overcome, thanks to excellent
results from using the new
Verimark module drench, he
reports.
David Simmons, managing
director of Riviera Produce,

adds that brassicas planted
after June 1 were unscathed by
the pest. Quality has been
really good this summer, and
demand has been strong.
We are lucky in that we are
seeing nothing like the pest
pressure that they are
experiencing in other regions.
Temperatures have been cooler
than other areas, thanks to the
cool winds off the sea, and we
have had rain when we needed
it, he says.
Crops have been pretty much
hand-to-mouth all season,
although there was a slight
peak in broccoli early on. And it
appears that despite the warm
August weather, brassicas are
still in focus. But price pressure
has been incessant, reports
David. Supermarkets continue
to squeeze prices, so we are on
very fine margins which are
difficult to get to stack up, he
says.
The new living wage is
increasing costs significantly
and it is difficult to get good
staff at the moment rising
labour costs is a real challenge
for British growers.
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SEASON ROUND-UP
Looking ahead to next
season, brassicas growers
in Cornwall are hoping for
some real winter weather
this year. For them, the
mild winter of 2015-16
resulted in the worst
winter cauliflower crop in
memory. Ellis explains: In
a normal year, the crop
vernalises in late
September and this
initiates growth. But last
year, the unseasonably
cold August weather we
had led to it vernalising
more than a month early.
What made this even
worse was the very warm
Specialist potato agronomist, John Sarup.
weather we had as an
Indian summer in
going, he says. We found
September and October,
there was an East-West split
followed by the warmest
across the country; in the West
November and December on
there was a lot of rain and the
record. The result was a crop
potato crop really moved on.
which was up to six weeks
But of course, the damp
early.
weather meant that blight
Nevertheless, so far this year
reared its ugly head, and the
things are looking better. We
heavy rain made getting on the
could have opted for planting
land to spray difficult, if not
late, but we do not know what
impossible. Some varieties also
September and October will
became infected with tuber
bring this year. If they are cold,
blight. To get on top of the
the crops would not have a
chance to put on leafy growth, problem we moved to five-day
spraying, using a protectant
he says.
with kick-back activity.
Ellis, who offers specialist
When temperatures warmed
input to the HDC R&D panel
up, there were localised heavy
and British Brassicas Growers
downpours, and the wetness
Association, reveals that while
resulted in black-leg appearing
winter cauliflowers are very
in a number of ware crops.
dependent on temperatures,
The problem is that many of
other vegetables suffered from
these crops were destined for
the incessant wet weather.
Some growers in the country long-term storage, but that is
now a question to be
reported up to 78 days of rain.
As a result, not only was fungal answered, he says.
To compound growers woes,
disease pressure high, but notuber numbers are generally
one could get on the land to
spray. Plants were stressed, too low, and potatoes will be of
average quality but no better,
having wet feet as water levels
thinks John. The end of the
meant there was no air around
season may not be much
their roots. Weather is our
happier, either, he says. We are
biggest challenge, he says.
seeing strong winds and dry
Difficult growing
weather, so many of the crops
conditions for potatoes are running out of steam and
This year, the weather has
struggling to finish off
challenged potatoes almost
especially those which are not
every step of the way, says
irrigated. Crops have not moved
specialist potato agronomist
on in the last two weeks, so
John Sarup, reporting on
things will be tight.
potato crops in the area where
Nonetheless, the potential for
he works in North East and
storability may be slightly
North West of the country,
improved if the weather
close to the border with
continues dry for burn-down
Scotland.
and lifting, he adds. We are in
It started with cold soils,
the lap of the Gods and the
which meant emergence took a weather will dictate how this
long time, but then things got
years crop turns out.
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14
SEASON ROUND-UP
Good job done by growers
Growers have done a good job this year, with Eastern counties
such as Lincolnshire bringing on some particularly nice carrots,
says award-winning agronomist John Sedgwick of Produce
World, reporting on this years root crops. The weather drives
what happens in UK agriculture, even when it is under fleece
and polythene crop covers laid over crop to enhance growth.
A cool, bright but
damp April pushed
carrot and parsnip
crops sown under
polytunnels (crop
covers) forward, but at
the same time held
back drilling and
uncovered planting, so
some crops went in a
little late. But once they
were in, the April
showers helped those
planted outside to
establish well, although
the further rain in May
resulted in weeds
John Sedgwick of Produce World.
becoming a nuisance,
so weed control started.
The new UK approvals for Cruiser and Movento have generally
led to better aphid control. Parsnips, however, have not had it
quite as good; they did not like the June weather. Although the
quality looks good, the poor light levels did not really set the
crop up; once the crop gets through August John expects those
sown without crop covers to be better yielding.
Onions were a challenge, with the season waxing and waning,
and downy mildew threatening during July, until the
temperatures started to climb to where they would normally be
for that time of year. John says: We will be keeping a sharp
look out for fusarium, which may manifest as we move into
storage.
Potatoes have had a
difficult year too; they
did not like the cool wet
June when they got wet
feet, which resulted in
smaller canopies.
Thanks to the damp
summer, blight pressure
has been high too.
Nevertheless, when we
got to July, crops moved
on and they have still
got a month of growing
to go before we start
lifting, so the supply
should be there.
Organic carrot
crops running
nicely
FARM VISIT
TC & N TAYLOR
INVESTING IN
PEOPLE FOR SUCCESS
by Peter Crowe
While leading organic carrot and potato grower Nick

Taylor of TC & N Taylor Ltd has made considerable
investments in machinery, and taken some major risks in
upscaling the business, he maintains passionately that his
investment in people, and long-term relationships are the
main factors behind his success.
e believes that a longterm approach to land

management is critical,
and this has only been possible
through a settled supply chain
deal with Produce World, and
the consequent confidence that
this gives the bank.
Today TC & N Taylor provides
a sizeable proportion of the
organic root vegetables
consumed in the UK. The
company grows some 350 acres
of potatoes, 250 acres of
carrots and around 40 acres of
parsnips. Around 96 per cent of
Nicks carrots go into Produce
World, which itself is a leader in
supplying organic vegetables to
the multiple retailers, and he
has been working with them
ever since he began growing
organic roots.
The family has a long
tradition of farming in North
Shropshire, but they did not
take the decision to go organic
until 1999/2000. According to
Nick the driver behind this was
purely commercial.
He says: We took the
decision to go organic in late
Organic carrot and potato grower,

Nick Taylor.
1999 simply because the

business was unviable as it
stood. There was a very good
market opportunity in organics,
and we decided to take it. We
started off with pigs, and then
got into vegetables in 2002 and
have been supplying Produce
World ever since then.
We started with just 20 acres
of organic carrots and 20 of
organic potatoes and that grew
Produce World started supplying organic

bunched carrots at the end of June
(courtesy John Sedgwick).
Organic crops were also affected by the weather, and

conditions meant stale seedbed-making was delayed. However,
thanks to Produce Worlds growers investment in crop covers,
we have managed to transform what we are supplying to the
organic carrot pre-pack market, says John. We started
supplying organic bunches at the beginning of June and they
are running very nicely.
Overall, we have had some very different challenges thrown
at us this year, but thanks to investment and high levels of
collaboration from our growers, crops are really looking good.
www.hortnews.co.uk
FARM VISIT
Hand weeding is still critical and a major investment.
steadily until around 2007 at

approximately 40 per cent per
year. We were increasing the
area we were growing, but we
were also increasing our yields
significantly during that time, as
we learned more about organic
farming, and managed to get
more marketable yields out of
the fields.
The market changed
significantly in 2007, so we had
to take some important
decisions to upscale the
business again. We went from
supplying around 200 acres of
each crop to a variety of
customers including farm
shops, box schemes and
multiples, to entirely focussing
on a vertically integrated supply
chain with key packers
supplying the multiples.
As a result we could increase
the acreage and volume, and
get even better at what we did,
make increased investment and

consolidate our relationships
with companies like Produce
World and the retailers. At the
time it was quite a brave thing
to do, but I believe it has paid
off.
It look a while for us to
achieve the levels of yield across
all the crops on the increased
acreage, but between 2007 and
2010 we pushed on to the
point where we had around
500 acres of crops, and since
then we have further increased
to between 600 and 700 acres.
This has enabled us to make
significant investment in
market-leading technology to
continue to increase yield,
deliver the best service being
able to harvest carrots whatever
the conditions and provide
quality products.
The soil in that part of
Shropshire is a light sandy loam
15
and, according to Nick, is not

very nutrient-retentive.
However, he believes that it is
better than some lighter soils
and they use green manuring
and two-year grass clover leys
in the rotation to improve the
quality.
In organics it is impossible to
take a responsive approach to
problems. Nick and the team
have to anticipate the problems
and deal with them before they
arise. This is one of the reasons
why he takes a long-term view
of the management of the land.
He and his team are working
on a seven to eight-year
rotation, and they like to rent
land on a five to ten-year basis
so they can manage all aspects
of its stewardship. This enables
them to develop the soil in the
way they want through longterm weed control, and
building up appropriate flora
and fauna including
earthworms.
That way, says Nick, When
we come to growing carrots the
soil is spot-on, the weed
burden is low, the drainage is
right and everything is as we
need it. That takes a long-term
approach across the whole
seven-year rotation not just
renting a field and moving in.
Its also about training for
the team. They have been with
us for many years, and they
understand what has to be
done to ensure the land is just
right when we grow carrots.
Also in the growing year itself
we need a good understanding,
so everything works properly

the ploughing, de-stoning, stale
seed-bedding and so on.
This approach is key to
dealing with the twin
challenges of weeds and pests.
Nick says: We cant simply
respond to the problems. With
organic farming, we have to be
ahead of the curve, anticipate
the problems and react
accordingly. When we come to
the year in the rotation when
we are actually producing
carrots, everything needs to
have already been thought
about. Thats why it is so
important to have the right
people who understand this.
The most critical part of
aphid control is husbandry
techniques. For instance, this
means controlling the overwinter and early spring aphid
hosts, not just in the carrotgrowing season but for every
season in the seven-year
rotation to ensure we minimise
the threat. We also do biocontrol release of natural
predators including ladybirds,
lacewings, and parasitic wasps.
Between them these natural
techniques are helping us to
control the predators.
As far as weed control is
concerned, it is all about
timing. Using stale seedbed
techniques, the weeds are
encouraged to germinate and
grow before being hoed or
flame treated. Then when the
carrots are drilled, they can outcompete any remaining weeds.
Nonetheless, hand-weeding
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FARM VISIT
16
TC & N Taylor recently bought an ASA-Lift self-propelled carrot harvester.
Monitors in the cab of the self-propelled carrot harvester give an all-round

view.
remains a necessity and is one

of the major crop investments
for organic vegetable growers
such as Nick.
While good environmental
stewardship may seem to go
hand-in-hand with organic
farming, Nick is proud of the
contribution that their farming
methods make to the local
environment. He says: I grew
up on the farm and I could
clearly see as we changed over
to organic that the number of
insects, field mice, predator
can be quite wet. They need to

be able to deliver high quality
product, no matter what the
conditions, and as a result they
have recently bought a selfpropelled ASA-Lift carrot
harvester.
Its not necessarily what you
would expect for a business
growing two or three hundred
acres of carrots, says Nick,
But it has already delivered
benefits in enabling us to carry
on working, no matter what
the conditions are, and to
deliver a high quality of
product.
Quality is at the heart of
much that Nick and his team
do. This may come as a surprise
to those who have an oldfashioned view of organics,
where the end product is
inferior but people feel it is
better for them. Nick says that
the growth he has seen over
the past view years has been
fuelled by increasing product
quality.
As we have up-scaled our
operations, he says, Our
products have improved and,
as a result, we have sold more.
So it has become a virtuous
circle. The product is excellent
quality and it is produced
naturally, and many people
believe that it tastes better too.
Also for us there is no
secondary market; given the
cost of producing these carrots,
we have to ensure they are top
quality and can go into packs.
Not surprisingly Nick is a
strong advocate for organics
and earlier this year appeared
in the Organic Trade Boards
Organic Unboxed campaign
which featured author and
vlogger Madeleine Shaw
unboxing a variety of organic
birds, hares etc. have all grown

in numbers since then. Of
course, it great that the
environment is richer and a
better place to live, but it also
helps us to do our job.
Nick says that the level of
investment in the team,
ensuring that they have the
right training, is much greater
than you would expect in a
conventional business. Equally
the business has had to overinvest in equipment to cope
with the soil structure, which
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produce from around the

country including Nicks
carrots. He will also be
supporting the annual Organic
September event organised by
the Soil Association again this
year, and will be taking part in
the universal cookery & food
festival taking place on 20
September at Laverstoke Park
Farm, Hampshire.
Nick says that his long-term
relationship with Produce
World has helped him to move
his business forward in terms
of investment in people and
machinery. Equally Produce
World Joint Managing Director
Matt Starbuck believes that
growers like Nick are central to
their organic offering.
He says: Our growers are at
the heart of everything we do
and on the organic side of the
business we have a particularly
close relationship with them.
Developing long-term business
relationships across the supplychain with growers and
retailers makes good sense if
we are to deliver top quality,
healthy, tasty vegetables to
customers and consumers
alike.
Talking to Nick Taylor, his
enthusiasm and passion for the
job clearly come across.
However, its clear that organic
vegetable farming isnt for the
faint hearted. Apart from the
obvious risk he has taken in
upscaling the business and
making considerable
investment, he reckons you
need to invest five times the
normal management time in
checking the detail and
training the team. However,
ultimately he believes it delivers
dividends for everyone
involved!
www.hortnews.co.uk
TH CLEMENTS
17
TH CLEMENTS - MANAGING THE

FUTURE WITH EXPERIENCE
TH Clements and Son Ltd has gained a reputation as
being one of the countrys leading vegetable producers.
Here, its Commercial Director, Richard Mowbray, talks to
Adrian Tatum about what it takes to remain a
successful business.
hat does a
management team with
150 years combined
experience buy you? Answer: a
lot. But in such a competitive,
pressurised and challenging
environment perhaps more than
anything, that experience buys
you the knowledge that your
business is in safe hands and can
continue to improve, develop and
tackle future challenges head on.
For the vegetable sector, the
demands have almost outgrown
the development in the industry.
Right now both Brexit and the
National Living Wage bring a new
level of uncertainty to the
industry and the latter comes at a
high price over the next five years
too.
TH Clements is one company
primed to take-on the latest
challenges. The company has
been growing high quality
vegetable crops since the 1940s
and is now established as one of
the countrys leading suppliers,
specialising in brassica crops. It
prides itself as being a customerdriven, family business who offer
the very freshest products
alongside a service that is simply
unsurpassed. The company says
its programme of continual
investment allows it to call upon
cutting edge processing, packing
and distribution capabilities to
provide retailers nationwide with
a trusted and exceptionally
reliable source of supply.

TH Clements Commercial
Director, Richard Mowbray, has
every confidence that the
companys passionate,
determined and committed team
will continue to be central to
their success as recent events
bring what he describes as a
sharper focus to investment and
development.
Brexit and the implementation
of the National Living Wage has
meant labour is, and will
continue to be a concern, and
will be increasingly difficult to
find as we come out of Europe,
he tells The Vegetable Farmer. It
is going to take some work of
course, but I think we have found
ways of minimising the impact
and continuing to be very fair to
our workers.
What it has done, is sharpen
the focus as regards to
investment in innovation and new
technology. Pre-Brexit and The
National Living Wage it was very
difficult to find an economic
Richard Mowbray, TH Clements

Commercial Director.
argument to invest in new

innovation such as automation,
but things have changed and we
need to take that agenda forward
and continue to search for the
best opportunities for us, he
adds.
Mr Mowbray says finding the
right technology for field
Brassica 2016
12th & 13th October
A wide selection of our products will be on
display at our Brassica 2016 Open Days. This
two day event 12th and 13th October and is
at our UK site. Visitors will be able to view our
extensive Cauliflower range including our two
new varieties Jericho & Merton. Also on view
will be Broccoli, Cabbage, Beetroot, Spinach,
Swiss Chard and baby leaf herbs.
The UK Sakata technical team will be
available both days to provide advice and to
discuss specific requirements from 9am to
5pm. Refreshments will also be available.
For further information on top quality seeds contact:
Sakata UK Ltd. Spalding Road, Sutterton,
Boston PE20 2EW Tel: 01205 462810
Email: sakata-uk@sakata.eu
www.hortnews.co.uk
TH CLEMENTS
18
An aerial shot of TH Clements packaging, cooling and distribution facilities.
TH Clements recently took part in an AHDB Horticulture project looking at

automating broccoli harvesting.
vegetable production is not easy.

For the pack house and cold
stores, implementing new
technology is perhaps easier but
out in the field it is a lot more
challenging when there are so
many different demands on the
crop and those crops grow in
different ways. But certainly there
could be one or two
opportunities centred around
harvesting in the near future to
add to the advanced technology
we all ready have, he says.
project focusing on the need to

replace manual operations in
horticulture with automated
processes that can replace the
hand and eye coordination of a
human operator. Led by KMS
Projects, the research centred on
the harvesting of broccoli and the
ultimate aim is to create a
solution that delivers quantifiable
commercial benefits.
According to the project
summary, in order to automate
the harvesting of broccoli, a
Whatever we do invest in, it will

be an investment for the longterm, he adds.
TH Clements has had an
integrated farming, packing and
distribution system in place for a
number of years with state-ofthe-art harvesting, production
and cooling facilities, offering
customers whole-head and semiprepared vegetables 12 months a
year.
Last year TH Clements took part
in an AHDB Horticulture research
system must be able to undertake

the following tasks in real time,
whilst under continuous motion
across the field and in such a way
as to deliver measurable benefits
to the grower:
*Accurately identify broccoli
plants in the field.
*Accurately measure the size of
each plant and compare it against
pre-agreed criteria in order to
establish whether or not it is
suitable for cutting.
*Obtain accurate data
UK Open
p Days
ys
Extensive range of Hazera and Vilmorin
brassica products
Displays of planting aand harvesting machinery
New varieties of Brussels sprouts,

cabbages and cauliflowers
Located on the A52 at

a Kirton Holme near
Boston, behind the Pooachers Country Hotel.
Site courtesy of MW & CE Nundy
Refreshments provideed in exhibition marquee
Open from 9am to 5pm both days.

Hazera in the UK:
Hazera Seeds UK Ltd, J.N.R.C, Rothwell, Market Rasen,
Lincolnshire, UK. LN7 6DT
+44 (0) 1472 371531
+44 (0) 1472 371547
www.hazera.uk.com
info@hazera.uk.com
www.hortnews.co.uk
TH CLEMENTS
regarding the position of each
harvest-ready broccoli head.
*Despatch the robotic arm with
pinpoint accuracy to the precise
location of each harvest-ready
broccoli head.
*Cut each harvest-ready head,
leaving the stalk and any
immature or unsuitable heads
undamaged in the field.
*Lift each cut head without
damage.
*Enable the cut head to be
collected without damage for
transportation to the processing
facility.
After testing during the 2015
season, results were promising
and it was agreed further testing
would take place in the 2016
harvesting season.
If I was to be able to chose to
kick-start a new research project
it would definitely be in the area
of automation to back up what
has already been done there and
in other projects in this area.
Whatever your opinion might be,
this is something every business is
going to have to consider, says
Mr Mowbray.
One of the other big challenges
of late has been more frequent
extreme weather. It seems that
in the last year or so we have

broken some sort of monthly
record every couple of months,
whether it has been too cold, too
hot or too windy; the main thing
is we have coped, says Mr
Mowbray.
Again, what is has done is
brought a focus to how we
approach growing and made us
think more carefully about the
importance of crop rotation and
good use of our land. We have to
think about better soil
management and crop diversity
has become an important part of
that strategy, he adds.
This means TH Clements also
grows potatoes, vining peas,
cereals, sugar beet and certain
grasses to help improve the
structure of the soil and create
the right balance of crops grown
in each field. All these crops
provide some benefit, says Mr
Mowbray. The onset of extreme
weather has also seen greater
experimentation with varieties.
Constantly trailing different
varieties helps us consider how to
get the very best out of what we
grow, he adds.
In fact, it is also becoming
more important to select the right
19
TH Clements have their own transport fleet.
variety to ensure value can be

added once the growing process
is finished. There are still
opportunities in the veg sector to
add value and prepare the crop in
a way that answers the demand
for more convenience, says Mr
Mowbray.
But is pushing the health
benefits of vegetables still worth
it? Sales of brassica crops have
increased over the last few years
and that is almost certainly
because people have continued to
recognised the health benefits.
They want clean living and to eat
healthy, he adds. For me, there
are three clear marketing
messages. The first is the health
benefits; the second is to focus

on how easy vegetables are to
prepare or the fact that you can
buy them readily prepared; and
the third is their versatility as a
food group.
Also I dont think we should
lose sight of the fact that getting
the right messages to children at
the right time is vital. Tell them
early on and the chances they will
always eat and buy vegetables is
pretty high, says Mr Mowbray.
These messages are nothing new
but they work, he adds.
He also speaks about the
phenomenal amount of work
that goes into the companys
environmental and sustainability
Where can YaraLiva NITRABOR

benefit your Brassica crop?
Boron works in harmony with
calcium to improve plant and
crop strength.
Boron helps prevent tissue
cracking which leads to
hollow stems and internal
browning
Boost the boron and

calcium levels in
your brassica crop
For more information call 01472 889 250 or contact
Tom DeCamp mobile on 07831 282096
tom.decamp@yara.com www.yara.co.uk
www.hortnews.co.uk
Calcium and boron play an

important role in minimising
clubroot.
Boron helps reduce

hollow stems.
Boron & calcium play a key

role in reducing the effects of
nutritional disorders such as
tip burn & hollow heart.
Boron & calcium help increase
crop quality & yield.
Boron is needed in relatively
large quantities by the
brassica crop.
Low risk of scorch when
topdressing YaraLiva
NITRABOR.
Calcium & boron can help

suppress clubroot.
Boron can help root

development in lettuce.
TH CLEMENTS
20
strategies. Getting them right

means a lot to the company and
our customers and they are still
very important aspects of running
a business like this, says Mr
Mowbray.
TH Clements has sound
environmental practices and
proactive soil management policies
whilst continually seeking
opportunities to enhance
biodiversity on the land that it
farms through Integrated Farm
Management practices. The
company minimises water usage
by exploiting rainwater harvesting
technology. Its watercourses are

also carefully managed. Drains and
dykes are continually monitored to
maintain water quality and land
drains are inspected and cleaned
to provide a steady flow into local
waterways and to help produce a
healthy soil structure.
A few years ago the company
also took on the interesting task of
mapping the carbon footprint of
its cauliflowers. Process inputs and
outputs were translated alongside
other data from the business and
these were then turned into
greenhouse gas emissions using
garford
Robocrop precision guided implements
Planting this season has been a challenge because of the weather.
available emission factors that

were measured in kg CO2equivalents.
At the moment the company is
in the middle of planting for the
2016/17 season. Last season as a
whole started off poorly but
finished ok. So far planting for this
season has been a challenge
because of the wet weather, but
the improved conditions in the
latter part of July has meant we

are back on track, says Mr
Mowbray.
The fact is TH Clements has
always been on-track. It is an
impressive company with
impressive achievements to date.
Its future will be in the hands of
the management team and staff
of course. But remember what
experience buys you!
TH Clements: the facts.
hoes
Hooded sprayers
Inrow weeder
t.01778 342642 e.info@garford.com
The company grows over 10,000 acres of crops including; broccoli,

potatoes, leeks, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, spring greens.
At its main site in Lincolnshire it has 2,000 acres of its own land;
3,900 rented acres; and 2,100 acres farmed in partnership with its
carefully selected growers.
This is complemented by 1000 acres of rented land in partnership
between Lands End and Truro in Cornwall.
Furthermore, the company has established a network of trusted
suppliers in Spain.
The company also has:
Market-leading production and cold storage facilities spanning
some 14,000m2.
11 separate cold stores with a combined capacity of 150,000
trays.
BRC accredited packing and distribution facilities.
Multi-purpose packing lines.
Shrink, flow and over-wrapping equipment.
Slicing, peeling and floretting machines.
Dedicated sprout harvesting and grading equipment.
Dedicated semi-prepared factory.
Blast chiller, powerful enough to remove field heat in 2 hours.
8 refrigerated loading bays.
14 temperature controlled, fuel efficient lorries.
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www.hortnews.co.uk
HUNTAPAC PRODUCE
21
HUNTAPAC PRODUCE - FOUR

GENERATIONS OF SUCCESS
by Richard Crowhurst
Huntapac Produce Ltd has been growing vegetables in

the north-west of England since 1942 when straw and
hay merchant William Hunter began growing vegetables
at Tarleton near Preston. Today, with the fourth
generation of the Hunter family actively involved in
running the business, it supplies root vegetables,
brassicas and salads to a range of customers, some of
whom it has dealt with for more than 40 years.
he company is now headed

by Williams grandson
Warren Hunter who is
Managing Director, while his
brother Jason is also a director.
Warrens sons Will and Henry
also both work in the business
which is split into three divisions
covering farming, packing and
transport.
The majority of crops are
carrots and parsnips, explains
Farm Technical Manager Andrew
Molyneux. We also grow salads
and brassicas, with salad crops
historically providing a source of
Farm Technical Manager, Andrew

Molyneux.
income in the summer, although

these days our root crop
production is non-stop for 52
weeks of the year.
The salad production, which is
all whole head lettuce such as
Romaine, Iceberg and Little Gem,
is also a twelve-month operation
with partners in Spain to provide
crops outside the UK season. In
Britain the company grows some
350 acres of salads, some of
which is double cropped, along
with 2,500 acres of carrots and
parsnips, 400 acres of brassicas
and 15 acres of asparagus.
www.hortnews.co.uk
Most of the crops are grown

locally, but root crops are also
grown in Suffolk, Shropshire,
Yorkshire and Scotland. In fact,
its location around the Ribble
and Mersey estuaries is one of
the reasons for Huntapacs
success. For many of our
customers, having an alternative
growing area away from the east
spreads their risk, explains
Andrew. Although on some of
the leafy crops we cant go as
late in the season due to the risk
of mildew, in most years we also
use less irrigation which gives us
a good environmental profile.
The company takes its
environmental impact very
seriously. 500 acres of crop is
grown either on Huntapacs own
land or land which it farms under
tenancy agreements, giving it a
lot of control over the long term
management. All our land is in
Entry Level Stewardship and we
are LEAF members. All of our
crops are grown to LEAF Marque
standards, adds Andrew.
The brassicas grown include
cauliflower, broccoli, Savoy, green
Primo- and white-cabbage and
having a mixture of products is
not only good from a customer
perspective, but helps the
company to keep harvesting
gangs in action. We have quite
a steady workforce with a lot of
Polish and Portuguese workers
who have been resident here for
a long time, explains Technical
Director, Shephen Shields. In
fact we have whole families who
work here and in peak season we
will employ as many as 427
people.
As well as labour, variable costs
are a key consideration. When a
large proportion of field
equipment was due to be
replaced in 2010 the decision
was made to move root crop
production to an 80 inch (2
metre) bed system from the usual
72 inches. Increasing production
on the ground has saved us
between 15 and 20 per cent in
ground rental and there is also
an energy saving, says Andrew,
although he accepts that the
wider beds can cause some issues
on the stoniest ground.
Another recent investment is a
new Asa-Lift share harvester for
the parsnips, although top lifters
are used as much as possible for
the carrot crops. We try to top
lift for as long as we can in the
season, although obviously it is
dependent on the variety and the
field conditions, he adds.
Huntapacs red liveried lorries
are a familiar sight on the roads
and given the companys
transport background, it is not
surprising that it remains an
important part of the business.
Transport currently accounts for
around 14 per cent of the
companys turnover, but the
figure is growing. With around
Technical Director, Stephen Shields.
60 trucks and a range of bulk

and refrigerated trailers to
transport both harvested and
packed crops, it is perhaps no
surprise that the company
celebrated 40 years of supplying
Tesco by creating a unique replica
articulated lorry from the late
1960s, which can now be found
in the Huntapac transport
7+(8.V1R:(%
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HUNTAPAC PRODUCE
22
Carrots are washed from the trailers to minimise damage.
museum near to the packhouse.

As well as the road-going fleet,
the company has recently
invested in two 6-wheel drive
Iveco tractor units which are used
solely to tow bulkers alongside
the harvester and out of the
fields before regular trucks
transport them to the packhouse.
Each tractor unit represents a
130,000 investment, but the
damage avoided by not having to
transfer crops between trailers is

significant.
Carrots and parsnips are
washed out of the trailers in the
factory to further minimise
damage and, once stones and
debris are removed, the crop is
hydro-cooled to remove field
heat. Technical Manager Martin
Roberts says that with the crop
typically arriving in the mid-20s
in summer, it takes about 25
Huntapac has created the Roots brand, which includes vegetable crisps.
Tel: 01384 569415
minutes to reduce temperatures

to the target of below 7 deg. C.
The crops are then washed and
polished before grading and
packing, with the overall time
from bulker to pack being just 40
minutes.
Although the company has
been using an optical camera
grader for 9 years now, it has
recently been upgraded just
part of a programme of
continuous improvement which
has seen a new cold-store,
workshops and even a high tech
fingerprint security system
installed at the Tarleton site.
At the moment, in June, we
are packing about 230 tonnes of
carrots a day, explains Martin.
However, at peak times that
figure will double. One such
peak occurs over Christmas with
the demand for parsnips and the
company has recently extended
the parsnip line to cope with this
seasonal demand.
Although the salads are rig
packed and vacuum cooled,
many of the brassica lines are put
into their final pack in the
factory. As well as flow-wrapping
products such as broccoli, and
vertical form-filled bags for the
carrots, modified atmosphere
(MA) film is used to help extend
the shelf life of the parsnips and
prevent discoloration of the skin.
In 2009 the company introduced
its own Roots brand of
products, which now includes
vegetable crisps which are made
for them by a third party.
Product development doesnt
stop there, with new varieties
trialled and introduced where
appropriate. For example,
recently introduced carrot variety
Priam from Clause has performed
well. This year we introduced
red Cos lettuce with Waitrose
Although optical grading is used,

sorting is still required on some
packing lines.
which has been quite successful,

and we are always trying to do
something different, says
Stephen.
Some of our smaller
customers are more inclined to
try speciality lines, but
unfortunately the economics do
not always make such
developments viable. That is one
of the reasons we wanted to host
the BCGA trials two years ago
and put on lettuce trials this
summer. It is also about giving
something back to the industry.
This attitude explains why,
despite being a large company in
terms of turnover and operation,
Huntapac retains the feel of a
smaller, family business. The
Hunter family are still involved in
the business every day and so
they are easy to talk to. Also we
dont have a big management
team so that it is easy for our
customers to get straight
through to speak to somebody,
adds Stephen.
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ALTERNATIVE OUTLETS
24
ALTERNATIVE PATHS TO CONSUMERS

A primary complaint often voiced by growers producing
for supermarkets is the feeling that they are beholden to
another companys demands and whims. However,
supermarkets are not the only option. Their dominance is
undeniable, but there are now numerous other ways of
getting your vegetables in front of consumers reports
Emily Scaife.
nd not all of them require

going it alone. After all,
not everyone wants to
market their produce personally,
set up a farm shop or create a
box scheme from scratch. But this
shouldnt mean youre forced to
miss out on the opportunities
gradually taking up a sizeable
chunk of the market.
AmazonFresh
Convenience and around-theclock supply may seem like a
daunting prospect, but they
represent a massive opportunity
for growers. A case in point is
AmazonFresh which launched in
London in June. Serving 128
postcodes in the capital, the
scheme means that Amazon Prime
members in eligible areas can now
order their full weekly grocery
shop from a range of over
130,000 competitively priced
products.
Consumers can purchase
popular brands, but they can also
select offerings from local food
producers and shops.
The bar in grocery retailing is
exceptionally high. The
supermarkets and grocers are
amongst the very best retailers in
the world, said Ajay Kavan, Vice
President of AmazonFresh. We
believe that the key to the long
term success of AmazonFresh is to
bring together the low prices, vast
selection, fast delivery options and
customer experience that Amazon
customers know and love.
We are launching with a

comprehensive offer in a limited
area and will take our time to
hone and improve our service
based on our learnings and
feedback from our customers,
said Mr Kavan. We will be very
methodical and considered in how
we roll this service out further in
the UK.
The main benefit for consumers
is the speed in which their order is
turned around. One-hour delivery
slots are available from 7am to
11pm, seven days a week, with
same-day delivery available from
5pm for orders placed by 1pm.
And they havent included the
word Fresh in their title for
nothing. A common grievance
with home deliveries is the
inability to select the fresh
produce yourself, thereby
increasing the chances of ending
up with a product that is past its
best.
The Amazon Freshness
Guarantee means that customers
can receive a refund if they are
unhappy with the freshness of the
products delivered to them. Not
just that, if an ordered item isnt
available, customers will not be
charged for this and will also
receive a free substitute product
in its place. Therefore the ability
of Amazon to ensure it can
provide a continuous, high quality
supply is absolutely vital.
In a bid to make life even easier
for consumers, Amazon Dash has
also been launched. Whether a
AmazonFresh launched in June this year and has already expanded its scope
to cover 128 postcodes in London (supplied by Amazon).
Riverford founder, Guy Watson (supplied by Riverford).
customer is reading a recipe or

restocking their fridge, Dash
allows them to build their
shopping list without having to
browse Amazon.co.uk on a
smartphone, tablet or computer.
Simply by scanning a product
barcode or saying the name of a
product, AmazonFresh customers
can add items to their baskets as
they think of them, making them
available for purchase the next
time they visit the website.
Were all used to trying to
remember the contents of the
fridge and kitchen cupboard and
scribbling down reminders on
pieces of paper, said Mr Kavan.
With Dash, at any given time,
customers can keep track of
products when they come to mind
and scan to reorder groceries and
household essentials as soon as
they run out. At Amazon, were
always looking to innovate based
on feedback and Dash has been
designed to continually learn as
customers use it.
Box schemes
Being able to provide vegetables
quickly and conveniently is a
powerful marketing tool. Gone
are the days when consumers
were prepared to visit a grocer
and take their time over choosing
which fresh products to buy.
Nowadays, they want handpicked, quality ingredients - but
they dont necessarily want it to
be their hands doing the picking.
The vegetable box is the perfect
answer to this dilemma.
The focus is on delivering
quality, often organic but not
exclusively so, vegetables directly
to peoples doors. One success
story is Riverford Organic Farmers,
which has evolved into a
nationwide delivery service

supplying organic vegetables
boxes to more than 47,000
homes a week.
The business began with Guy
Watson delivering vegetables to
30 local homes out of the back of
his Citron 2CV nearly 30 years
ago. As demand grew, Guy turned
to local farmers to help support
the box scheme and set up the
South Devon Organic Producers
co-operative, which today is the
largest organic co-operative in the
UK and farms over 1500 acres
across South Devon and Cornwall.
Eight of the nine original growers
are still part of the co-op, and
have been joined by nine more.
Now, we also work with a
variety of small scale organic
farmers in the UK and overseas.
We work with the same farmers
we know and trust in the long
run, which means stability and
support for the farmers, and
guaranteed quality produce from
people we know and trust for the
boxes, said Emily Muddeman,
Riverfords PR and social media
assistant.
Unsurprisingly, making sure that
farmers get a fair deal is hugely
important to Riverford. By dealing
directly with farmers, agreeing
prices in advance and working
with them in the long run it
means they are able to stay in
business, keeping money in the
rural economy and looking after
the countryside.
Producer Anthony Coker said
the co-operative solves lots of
common problems growers have.
When youre a small farm you
have problems like having enough
staff when you need them and
the cost of machinery - but when
youre a co-operative and youre
www.hortnews.co.uk
ALTERNATIVE OUTLETS
25
Riverford suppliers Peter and Jo-ann Richardson grow crops including

potatoes, parsnips, courgettes and chard (supplied by Riverford).
Riverford delivers organic vegetable boxes to more than 47,000 homes every
week (supplied by Riverford).
sharing, it solves a lot of those

problems. Staff can work here
one day and on another cooperative farm the next day, it
works out quite well. Also it gives
you an outlet to market and you
dont need to worry about the
marketing side of it.
Fellow producer Peter
Richardson explains that before
supplying Riverford he sent his
vegetables to a packing house for
distribution. Today he enjoys
seeing his product heading
directly to a consumer: Theres a
closer connection with the
consumer, theres no two ways
about it, he said.
Emily agrees, explaining that
the boxes are a great way of
ensuring consumers have more of
a connection with the food
theyre eating. As farmers
ourselves, we are able to tell our
customer where and how their
food was grown, who by, and
even when it was picked, she
said.
Part of having a vegetable box
is hearing about weekly news
from the farm (written by founder
Guy Watson) and eating with the
seasons. We are very open about
what is going on on the farm
Guy often writes about things
that have gone wrong (i.e.
weather related issues), things
that are doing very well, and new
things we are experimenting
with.
Running a vegetable box
scheme also gives the farmers
involved one less headache; the
worry that vegetables wont be
the right size, shape of
appearance. Peter Richardson
loves the fact that Riverford dont
mind if his courgettes exceed
21cm. They cant for the
supermarket because they wont
fit in the packet, he said. But
there are no compromises on the
quality for Riverford - youre just
much so that another delivery of

10,000 boxes went out to 372
stores a month later in April and
the supermarket is now planning
to run the scheme regularly.
The boxes were an unexpected
marketing success; the first
Facebook post announcing Asda
would be selling Wonky Veg was
liked, shared and commented on
by more than 35,000 people.
With television mentions,
newspaper articles and numerous
mentions on social media, they
captured the public consciousness
in an unforeseen way.
But was it really unforeseen?
www.hortnews.co.uk
utilising more of your crop.

Emily explains: We dont have
strict size and shape guidelines so
customers will often find wonky
veg in their boxes; we grow for
flavour rather than cosmetic
perfection or yield. Supermarkets
reject a huge amount of produce
but with our box scheme, our
produce has a home in a box
before its even been planted.
In terms of lessons learnt,
Riverford has realised that
customers are a lot more
forgiving than many initially
think. Inevitably with organic
farming things can go wrong,
Emily admitted.
Without the use of pesticides
and chemicals, sometimes we can
lose the majority of a crop to
insects or a disease, and the
weather can affect things a lot.
As a result, sometimes we have to
alter our box contents, and send
substitutions, or we might send
something out without knowing
it is affected (i.e sweetcorn we
send them out in the husks so we
dont have to use plastic
packaging, but this means
occasionally the corn inside might
not be up to scratch). In general,
as long as we explain what has
happened, our customers are very
understanding and supportive,
which is fantastic.
Growers such as Guy Watson at

Riverford tapped into this truth
concerning consumer behaviour
years ago. It would appear that
after several decades of driving
consumer behaviour,
supermarkets are now turning to
growers themselves for ideas.
Everything that was assumed
about consumers - that they only
want perfect vegetables, that they
want the cheapest, that they
dont care about where it is from
- would appear to be false.
Growers have always listened and they are now set to reap the
benefits.
J&K Polyculture I.O.W Ltd
Asda
Indeed, the observation that
consumers dont always behave
as you would expect them to is
something that is gradually
occurring to the supermarkets.
For years it has been assumed
that consumers dont want
vegetables deemed imperfect,
however a recent addition to
Asda shelves appears to have
turned that premise on its head.
Wonky Veg boxes were a
massive hit during a trial month
at a selection of Asda stores - so
PROFILE
26
R.S. COCKERILL DIRECTOR FOCUSING ON

NEW DEVELOPMENTS FOR POTATOES
by Bill Sherer
Since 2014 Rufus Pilgrim has been the Commercial

Director for R.S. Cockerill (York) Ltd, where he has
responsibility for the companys fresh potato division
whose customers are the discount retailers and food
service sectors. The 45 million annual turnover business
has also been a long standing supplier over many years to
Pepsico, trading as Walkers Crisps in the UK.
ew product development
has always been key to
growth in what is a very
competitive fresh potato sector.
We have been working closely
for some time with Camden
Food Research Institute on a
Microwaveable Maris Peer
product explains Rufus.
The package is placed facedown in a microwave and a
steam valve on the reverse
regulates the cooking. The 375g

pack is cooked very quickly in
some 5.5 minutes and does not
contain anything additional in
the pack. This allows it to be
sold in the ambient fixture
alongside other basic vegetables.
We demonstrated it on the
NFU Journey of Food stand at
The Great Yorkshire Show held
in July at Harrogate. Consumer
reaction was both positive and
encouraging, and it is planned
to launch this exciting new
Cockerill product in the very near
future.
Passionate about the

Industry
Rufus Pilgrim, Commercial Director

for R.S. Cockerill.
Rufus attended Shuttleworth

Agricultural College between
1989 and 1992 where he gained
an HND in Agriculture. Since
1993 he has worked within the
Potato industry. His first role was
as a fieldsman in Lincolnshire
with GA Bowskill which provided
him with an ideal introduction
to all the many facets of potato
growing and packing.
After 6 years with QV Foods
he joined Manor Fresh Ltd, at
Holbeach Hurn, Spalding in
2006 as Potato Procurement

Manager where he sourced
potatoes throughout the UK and
abroad, with overall
responsibility for all potato
procurement and non-retail
sales.
The business was a merger
between DGM Growers and
GeestQV who were to become
sole suppliers of potatoes to
Marks and Spencer. This was
the most important role I had
held in my entire business career
to date, and it undoubtedly
equipped me in the right way to
take on my current position he
commented.
Key achievements here
included: developing a high
quality 10kg carton business for
the wholesale markets;
establishing a seed potato
marketing division; managing
crisping and dehydration
contracts and the establishment
and management of a successful
out-grade marketing scheme.
I learned so much over that
eight-year period with Manor

Fresh Ltd. It provided me with
the knowledge and expertise
which were required to bring my
skills to a higher level, he
explained. This role culminated
in him joining R.S. Cockerill
(York) Ltd as the companys
Commercial Director in February
2014.
Nuffield Farming
Scholarship
Rufus Pilgrim is currently
undertaking a Nuffield Farming
Scholarship which has been
generously sponsored by AHDB
Potatoes. His project title is: The
future of the UK Potato Industry
- Learnings from successful
supply models. I have already
obtained really useful and
worthwhile intelligence through
my scholarship experiences
which will be invaluable in my
day-to-day responsibilities at
every level with Cockerills, and
there is still quite a long way to
go, he says.
Cockerills have their own haulage operation.
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PROFILE
Cockerills grow 500 acres of potatoes in their own right.
In February he spent a week

with a group of other Nuffield
scholars looking at every aspect
of the potato sector in Belgium,
Germany and Holland. The very
hectic seven days was organised
by AHDB Potatoes and the
Northern European Potato
Growers Association. Rufus was
one of 16 UK growers and
processors who visited several of
their continental counterparts in
these three countries. The tour
highlighted the key point that
production costs in Northern
Europe for processed potatoes
are considerably lower than in
Great Britain. There also appears
to be a great deal of
cooperation and collaboration

between growers, irrespective of
size.
Then in March this year Rufus
was one of 75 scholars
attending the Nuffield
Contemporary Scholars
Conference in Cavan, Southern
Ireland. The conference
highlighted Nuffield culture and
values, and the need for strong
leadership, innovation and
personal development, he
commented.
This was followed in early April
with a visit to growers and
packers in the Czech Republic,
Southern Poland and Northern
Hungary, forming an important
27
part of his overall Nuffield

research.
The first long haul trip was
made in June to South Africa
and Kenya. South Africa was
particularly interesting as their
climate is such that it allows
year-round potato growing, and
there is a heavy emphasis on
selling through traditional
wholesale markets he says.
Both countries have rapidly
developing middle classes but at
the same time considerable
political and social challenges.
There is a huge informal market
in both countries whilst the
various supply chains are rapidly
adapting to meet an element of
that market with considerably
more spending power and
sophistication.
The Kenya Potato Council are
already putting a great deal of
emphasis on future nutritional
and food security for Africas
growing population. This
involves encouraging growers to
use quality inputs and at the
same educating them in good
agricultural practice through
outreach centres, and this
dramatically helps to increase
output.
He will also be travelling again

in November, this time with
visits to Prince Edward Island in
Canada as well as Northern USA
and, most interestingly, to China
in the Spring of 2017. Chinas
Government is promoting the
humble potato, emphasising its
very important environmental
and nutritional credentials.
Rufus will write his final report
for submission in July 2017 and
will present his findings at the
Nuffield annual conference
which is to be held in November.
An important part of his
obligation to both Nuffield and
his sponsor, is for him to share
his experiences with others at
various meeting engagements.
Cockerill people
R.S. Cockerill (York) Ltd
employs around 100 people. I
work with an excellent team,
says Rufus. Procurement is taken
care of by Jim Pratt and Richard
Wilson; retail sales by Joanne
Forster, whilst Charlotte Flint has
responsibility for non-retail sales.
Technical Manager Nick Lamour
manages accreditation, quality
and specifications, working with
Packhouse and Operations
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28
PROFILE
FIELD ROBOT EVENT
RISE OF THE ROBOTS

BullsEye, Agronaut, FloriBot, the Phoenix, Soapbox and
the Normal One, were just a few of the robots brought
to this years edition of the International Field Robot
Event (FRE), writes Steven Vale.
Rufus Pilgrim (left) with Richard Wilson (Buyer for R.S. Cockerill).
Manager David Elvidge. Any

staffing shortfalls are
supplemented by outside agency
personnel as may be required.
Rufus is keen to bring fresh
talent into the industry,
especially those from a nonagricultural background.
Cockerills are active participants
in the MDS scheme.
Sourcing fresh market

sector potatoes
The bulk of our fresh market
potatoes are grown on contract
by committed, very capable and
experienced Yorkshire farmers &
growers. In some cases, this has
been over several generations in
supplying Cockerills, he
explains. The company also
grows 500 acres in its own
right, which are predominantly
produced as crisping potatoes
for Walkers.
The current Cockerill fresh
market potato sector breaks
down as 70% retail; 15% Food
Service and 15% Wholesale
Markets, says Rufus. The
business is split 50/50 between
Fresh Market and Crisping
supply.
The firm owns its own
haulage operation and this plays
a vital part in providing flexible,
cost effective and reliable
transport for both their suppliers
and customers. Every vehicle in
the firms modern transport fleet
has been fitted with the latest
technology, thus ensuring all
lorries are tailor made for
customer requirements. This is
especially so for the delivery of
crisping potatoes to Walkers
which are transported in
Bespoke Box Vans. These have
been successfully used by the
firm for more than a decade.
The strong, practical
relationship which has always
existed between our contract
growers and the company is

integral to the overall success of
our business. This can be
summed up in the three words:
Integrity; Loyalty and
Commitment, he comments.
Rufus Pilgrim has always had a
passion for acquiring new
knowledge and skills in pursuit
of self improvement as well as
for the businesses for which he
has worked. In addition to his
agricultural qualifications, he has
undertaken further areas of
study in the past covering
disciplines such as BASIS and
with the Open University in
2004.
Summary
The UK potato industry must
adapt rapidly in many different
areas to the changing demands
and expectations to which it is
currently being exposed. For
example, there is a justified
concern today about the supply
chain and its future
sustainability. I intend through
my Nuffield Scholarship to
come up with at least some of
the positive paths we should be
following, he said.
I am indebted to my
Managing Director, Martin
Cockerill, for supporting me
throughout in undertaking this
Nuffield Scholarship as well as
the input and encouragement
of my sponsor, AHDB Potatoes
he said.
Aged 46, Rufus is married
with two daughters. Outside
his day-to-day work
responsibilities, he has chaired
the local school Governing
body, and enjoys cycling and
running.
When his Nuffield Report is
published next year it will make
very interesting reading for all
those who are working in the
UK potato industry.
ne of the highlights at
the German Agricultural
Society (DLG) organised Field Days, this 14th
edition of the popular robot
event was attended by 17
teams, from Denmark, Finland,
Germany, the Netherlands,
Poland, Slovenia and the UK.
The entrants were asked to
complete different tasks on each
The only Finnish team at the event,
of the three days of the show.
and the result of a years work by
On the first day, each robot was
nine students at two universities in
required to accurately navigate
Helsinki, the most expensive
between the rows of a maize
component of the Argonaut is the
crop, and turn unassisted into
10,000 laser scanner. Another
the next row at the headland.
strong point is the independent
wheel suspension system, which is a
The second day was arguably
lot like that used in modern tractors.
the most challenging because
The three batteries provide enough
each team had to connect their
electricity for about two hours when
robots to both a homemade
working with the drill.
mini-sprayer and a drill, while
the final day was reserved for a
crop was 50cm tall. In the event,
bit of fun and a freestyle
it was at best just half this
competition.
height, and all the guidance
The vehicles have become
systems had to be altered
more sophisticated since the first accordingly. Gaps in the plant
FRE in the Netherlands in 2003,
rows are another potential
and many of the autonomous
problem, and changing size and
machines on display were partly
colour of weeds is another issue.
sponsored by the big names in
The conditions change all the
the business, including AGCO,
time, and each time they do the
Bosch, Agrifac, Amazone, Claas
robots have to be re-calibrated.
Fendt, John Deere, Horsch,
Designed by students at many
Krone and Valtra.
of Europes leading technical
But essentially all the robots
colleges and universities, while
entered for the competition
most of their techy-solutions do
shared a common theme, with
work, real progress is limited by
battery-powered electric motors
the fact that once students have
providing propulsion, and
a combination of laser
scanners, digital cameras
and webcams, allowing
the tiny vehicles to
navigate between crop
rows, detect and map
weeds.
One thing that remains
unaltered is the difficulty
in operating an
autonomous vehicle in a
Developed by eight students at the Dutch
semi-structured
Wageningen University, and financed by
environment. For
Agrifac, and co-sponsors Kverneland and
example, robots can be
pre-programed to work in Steketee, the BullsEye navigates using a laser
sensor. The two batteries provide around 1
a crop of a certain height, hours of continuous use, and the robots 30kg
row spacing and distance. weight does not include the two attachments
Ahead of the
made to fit to the rear; a trailed and 50cmcompetition, students
wide drill, and a student-built three-nozzle
were informed the maize sprayer.
www.hortnews.co.uk
FIELD ROBOT EVENT

project was on
display at the Field
Days. Called the
Phoenix, the result is
carried on in-house
made 20cm-wide x
1m-long rubber
tracks, each one
powered by its own
electric motor.
Designed to allow
the vehicle to keep
The overall winner of the competition was the
working in sticky
Great Cornholio (the Normal One). Developed by
conditions, the track
German students at the University of Applied
width of 1.5m is
Sciences in Osnabruck, power comes from a pair
suitable for working
of 12v/7.2Ah batteries, with a total power of
in crops grown on
300W.
both 50 and 75cm
completed their assignment, it is row distances. The students have
over to another group to take
developed a two-row cultivator
over, who plunder previous
for the Phoenix, but the version
versions for donor parts and
on show combines laser and
start again.
digital camera technology to
Most of the robots brought to
the event are designed for the
complicated task of detecting
and spot spraying crop weeds.
However, some feel there are
applications for robots to tackle
much simpler tasks, and PHD
student David Reiser at
Hohenheim University, reckons
the easiest way to bring the tiny
autonomous vehicles to the
market is to get them to provide
precision farming information.
Soil scanning is an
application that can easily be
carried out by a robot, he said.
Also, camera images taken
The Innok TX was the only sixwhile a robot drives through the
wheeled robot brought to FRE 2016.
crop could provide vegetable
Featuring all-wheel drive and a total
farmers with valuable
installed power of 2000w, the 16kg
information about what the
vehicle was developed by students
at Heilbronn University, in Germany.
plants look like, he added.
Work at Hohenheim University
has already led to the
scan, map and then spot spray
development of a number of
crop weeds. The four batteries
robots, and even an
are claimed to provide a full
autonomous tractor, and the
days operation.
researchers latest 500kg robotic
Commercially
available
robot
We never did manage to see Eric in action, but what

we can tell you is that it was developed by Harper
Adams students, and it won second prize in the
competition. The 70cm-long result has a turning
radius of just 90cm.
www.hortnews.co.uk
The future may

very well be with
precision farming,
but French-firm
Nao Technologies
is seeking an
agent to sell what
we believe could
be the first
commerciallyavailable robot, a
180kg machine
known simply as
Oz. Designed to
mechanically hoe
between crop
29
Believed to be one of the first commercially-available robots, French-firm

Nao Technologies is seeking an agent to sell the 180kg Oz.
rows, the company advises a

minimum row crop spacing of
60cm for the 48cm wide robot,
and a maximum of 2m. The
French company is currently
working on a finger hoe for
weeds within the crop row.
In addition, the vehicle can
also carry a 100kg payload and
is claimed to be powerful
enough to tow a trailer
weighing 350kg. Most of the
machines delivered so far are to
small vegetable farms growing a
variety of different crops, and
quite a few work on leeks
spaced at 75cm. In fact, the
company says 80% of the
machines currently in use work
in crops on a row spacing of
75cm.
Capable of working at a
maximum depth of 5cm, most
machines scratch the surface
down to 1-2cm, and one of the
big features is the fact it can
work unassisted. All the operator
needs to do is programme the
number of rows. The machine
sends a text message when it is
finished, or if there is a problem.
Most users initially opt to lease
an Oz for 650/month, or
3,900 for a year. Some
customers then go on to buy it

outright, no doubt stimulated by
an EU-subsidy to the tune of
40% on the purchase price of
20,000 - 25,000.
Furthermore, the interest is not
restricted solely to organic
growers, and a couple of units
have gone to conventional
growers keen to reduce chemical
inputs.
The French company is pleased
by the way things are going and
had budgeted to supply 40
machines by the end of this year.
In the event, this number was
reached before the summer. The
majority work in France, but
three work in Belgium and
another two in Denmark. Most
machines clock up around 500
hours a year, with a full electric
motor revision needed after
5,000 hours.
Looking ahead, the company is
currently evaluating a rearmounted sprayer, but stresses it
will only introduce it, if it helps
to reduce chemical inputs. The
company is also developing a
larger version of the current
robot, which will be able to
straddle vegetable crops grown
in beds.
Amazone continues to work on its BoniRob, and project partners Bosch,

Osnabrck University and Wageningen University are researching the
different applications with which the robot can be combined.
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for transport, Double pallet forks for 3 point linkage,
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The BUYERS GUIDE www.actpub.co.uk

CROP COVERS
WONDERMESH LTD
Redford Farm
Garvock,
Laurencekirk,
Aberdeenshire AB30 1HS
Tel: +44 (0)1561 377 946
E-mail: info@wondermesh.co.uk
HANDLING EQPT (Cont)

HAITH TICKHILL GROUP
Cow House Lane, Armthorpe,
Doncaster, S. Yorkshire DN3 3EE
Tel: 01302 831911
Fax: 01302 300173
E-mail: sales@haith.co.uk
www.haith.co.uk
www.wondermesh.co.uk
FIELD VEGETABLE EQPT

STANDEN REFLEX
Hereward Works
Station Road,
Ely, Cambs CB7 4BP
Tel: 01353 666200
Fax: 01353 666202
E-mail: m.winters@standen.co.uk
www.standen.co.uk
TERRINGTON MACHINERY
IMPORTS
Market Lane, Terrington St Clements,
Kings Lynn PE34 4RH
Tel: 01553 828083
Fax: 01553 827073
E-mail: sales@terringtonmachinery.co.uk
www.terringtonmachinery.co.uk
HUMIDITY/FOGGING
TRU-FOG CROP HYDRATION
Norman Pendred & Co Ltd
A1 Broomsleigh Business Park
Worsley Bridge Road
London SE26 5BN
Tel: 020 8461 9387
Fax: 020 8461 1166
E-mail: julia@pendred.com
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WEBSTERS INSULATION LTD

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Tel: 01405 812682
Fax: 01405 817201
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HANDLING EQPT
AGRIWEB
25 Enterprise Road, Bangor
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Tel: 02891 275913
Fax: 02891 275563
E-mail: info@agri-web.co.uk
www.agriweb.co.uk
DAVID HARRISON
9 Sand Lane, Aldreth, Haddenham,
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Tel: 01353 740666
Fax: 01353 741370
E-mail: sales@davidharrisons.com
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BERTHOUD SPRAYERS LTD

First Floor, 4 Old Meadow Road,
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93 Akeferry Road, Westwoodside,
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Thatch Carr Farm
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Fax: 0161 480 7927
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BRIGGS IRRIGATION
Boyle Road, Corby,
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Tel: 01536 260338
Fax: 01536 263972
E-mail:
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Fax: 01328 700111
E-mail: enquiries@greencrop.co.uk
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Fax: 01945 870820
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e,
Connec
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SEPTEMBER 2016.

qxp_VEG FARMER TEMPLATE 25/08/2016 13:22 Page 1

Get the boost with Rudis.

SEPTEMBER 2016.qxp_VEG FARMER TEMPLATE 25/08/2016 14:21 Page 2

Thats all it costs to

The Vegetable Farmer

Overseas subscription rates (Payments in sterling please)

t: +44 (0)1790 752771

SEPTEMBER 2016.qxp_VEG FARMER TEMPLATE 25/08/2016 16:01 Page 3

Although every effort is made

The Vegetable Farmer is a member of the Independent Press Standards

Tel: +44 (0) 1302 831911 - sales@haith.co.uk

Buyers Guide ...................................................................................................31

This year, many growers feel they have

SEPTEMBER 2016.qxp_VEG FARMER TEMPLATE 25/08/2016 13:23 Page 4

Soil Association expects organic

maintain the flow of organic

Hazera Brassica Open Days

broccoli, savoys and Brussels

THE VEGETABLE FARMER SEPTEMBER 2016

New Enza vegetable

a sad loss to us all. We send

SEPTEMBER 2016.qxp_VEG FARMER TEMPLATE 25/08/2016 13:23 Page 5

The biggest range of Temperature Control

Temporary chiller storage

0800 840 4210

SEPTEMBER 2016.qxp_VEG FARMER TEMPLATE 25/08/2016 13:23 Page 6

Glassford Hammond Farming is Produce Worlds Grower of the Year

innovating and working to

like Martin and Sons part of

Syngenta UK Ltd. Registered in England N

SEPTEMBER 2016.qxp_VEG FARMER TEMPLATE 25/08/2016 13:23 Page 7

Bejo Zaden Open Days

Hazera and Clause Dutch Open Days

Bejo Zaden will be holding its

Vegetable seed companies,

programme. As usual Bejo

Brussels sprouts, cauliflower,

Bejos Open Days also feature an exhibition and demonstrations of vegetable

SEPTEMBER 2016.qxp_VEG FARMER TEMPLATE 25/08/2016 14:24 Page 8

Alice joins the family

factory as I grew up! Its really

Clause Brassica Open Days

been bred to extend the range.

EAMU for Diamondback

Protection Senior Scientist

British Carrot Growers demonstration

demonstrating some of their

Rijk Zwaan Organic Open Day

SEPTEMBER 2016.qxp_VEG FARMER TEMPLATE 25/08/2016 13:24 Page 9

Microbes will feed

ithin the last century chemical fertilizers and pesticides steadily

Microbes in crop production

Beneficial microbes are useful in the production

Important things to check about

Increasing soil nutrient availability

There are some very important things to check

Enhancing natural metabolic

Preventing plant diseases and pests

Why is Lallemand Plant Care Microbial by Nature ?

A global leader in the production of microbial solutions

SEPTEMBER 2016.qxp_VEG FARMER TEMPLATE 25/08/2016 13:24 Page 10

THRILLS AND SPILLS OF THE 2016

Microbes in crop production

Why is Lallemand Plant Care Microbial by Nature ?