Article taken from The Journal
Written by Robert GibsonOne of the country’s oldest farmer-owned cooperatives have strengthened its relationship with leading agronomy company Agrovista to provide further benefits to its farming members and customers across the region.
The Cumbria based Aspatria Farmers, which has branches in Appleby, Wigton and Longtown, has been working with the business, which supplies crop protection products and precision farming services across the UK for a number of years.
Now through a partnership arrangement, Agrovista is supplying all products for Aspatria Farmers, backed up with technology from the firm, which was established more than 60 years ago.
Agrovista’s northern agronomists, Steven Gate and Simon Nelson, will be working closely with the team at Aspatria Farmers, including arable manager Stephen Hemingway in Aspatria, agronomist Stair Brown in Dumfries and Galloway as well as north Cumbria, and recently recruited agronomy manager Mark Elcoate who is covering Cumbria and the North East.
Mr Hemmingway said: “As a non-profit making agricultural co-operative, this collaboration is very much in the interest of our farmer members in delivering a specialist agronomy service, backed by on-going technological developments and training that a company like Agrovista can give.
“Both companies priorities are to advise use of seeds and agrochemicals to help them maintain profitability in challenging times.
“There is also the added benefit that any profits we make from sales will be paid back to our members.
“It provides a holistic package to our members, whether dairy, beef, sheep or arable producers, as we can provide all inputs from feed and fertiliser as well as agronomy support. Aspatria Farmers provides a service to farmers from the field through to feeding the animal.”
As a farmer owned business, he added, it was Aspatria Farmers aim to make sure its members stayed in business, making as much profit for themselves as possible. As a result, the cooperative did not sell unnecessary products.
The service covers Cumbria, Country Durham, Northumberland, and Dumfries and Galloway to meet the needs of those farming everything from grassland and cereals to oil seed rape and potatoes. The products will also be available to all Aspatria Farmers outlets in Aspatria, Wigton, Appleby and Longtown.
Mr Gate, from Agrovista, said: “We have our own customers in the region, but we have established a very good relationship with the agronomy team at Aspatria Farmers.
“Between us, we have many years of experience and we know the majority of farmers throughout the North of England and South West Scotland.”
Written by Robert GibsonOne of the country’s oldest farmer-owned cooperatives have strengthened its relationship with leading agronomy company Agrovista to provide further benefits to its farming members and customers across the region.
The Cumbria based Aspatria Farmers, which has branches in Appleby, Wigton and Longtown, has been working with the business, which supplies crop protection products and precision farming services across the UK for a number of years.
Now through a partnership arrangement, Agrovista is supplying all products for Aspatria Farmers, backed up with technology from the firm, which was established more than 60 years ago.
Agrovista’s northern agronomists, Steven Gate and Simon Nelson, will be working closely with the team at Aspatria Farmers, including arable manager Stephen Hemingway in Aspatria, agronomist Stair Brown in Dumfries and Galloway as well as north Cumbria, and recently recruited agronomy manager Mark Elcoate who is covering Cumbria and the North East.
Mr Hemmingway said: “As a non-profit making agricultural co-operative, this collaboration is very much in the interest of our farmer members in delivering a specialist agronomy service, backed by on-going technological developments and training that a company like Agrovista can give.
“Both companies priorities are to advise use of seeds and agrochemicals to help them maintain profitability in challenging times.
“There is also the added benefit that any profits we make from sales will be paid back to our members.
“It provides a holistic package to our members, whether dairy, beef, sheep or arable producers, as we can provide all inputs from feed and fertiliser as well as agronomy support. Aspatria Farmers provides a service to farmers from the field through to feeding the animal.”
As a farmer owned business, he added, it was Aspatria Farmers aim to make sure its members stayed in business, making as much profit for themselves as possible. As a result, the cooperative did not sell unnecessary products.
The service covers Cumbria, Country Durham, Northumberland, and Dumfries and Galloway to meet the needs of those farming everything from grassland and cereals to oil seed rape and potatoes. The products will also be available to all Aspatria Farmers outlets in Aspatria, Wigton, Appleby and Longtown.
Mr Gate, from Agrovista, said: “We have our own customers in the region, but we have established a very good relationship with the agronomy team at Aspatria Farmers.
“Between us, we have many years of experience and we know the majority of farmers throughout the North of England and South West Scotland.”