Tag Archives: business

RFID start-up for farmers wants to expand

A new agri-tech startup aims to give farmers and growers the ability to attach data to any part of their farming business, from fields and machines, right down to individual animals, pickers or plants.

As Abby Schlageter of vidacycle explained, the idea first came about when her parents started an olive farm in Chile and wanted a way to keep track of which trees needed attention, such as re-staking or pruning. Eventually she hit upon the idea of using RFID tags coupled with a simple phone app.

These small discs use an electromagnetic field to transfer data wirelessly with no internet required, in turn allowing data to be ‘attached’ to each location fitted with a tag. As well as tracking individual trees, the company has also developed a system for tracking harvesting output for hand-picked produce such as fruit and vegetables. Each worker is given a tag and each time they hand in what they have picked the tag identifies them and the amount harvested.

Data can be stored on the phone or tablet or uploaded for further analysis on a computer. The company is now looking to expand and is seeking two or more UK farmers to help develop the system. For more information visit tech.vidacycle.com or email abby@vidacycle.com.

Photo Credit: tech.vidacycle

The post RFID start-up for farmers wants to expand appeared first on Hort News on 24 November 2015.

Irish crisps enter US market

Irish potato growers the Keogh family, who have farmed at Westpalstown in County Dublin for the past 200 years, are growing in the international luxury crisp market with export sales of their products increasing.

“Over the years my family has grown tomatoes, cucumber, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sweetcorn, barley, wheat, onions and potatoes,” said Tom Keogh, who farms with his brother Peter and their sons Tom, Ross and Derek. “In the last 20 years we have completely specialised in potatoes. We grow about 400 acres and we have a network of 25 growers from Wexford up to County Donegal.”

At present the crisps factory, which employs around 27 people, is producing 1.5 tonnes of product every day. The range features seven different flavours in 50g, 125g and multi-pack offerings. The distinctive crunch is achieved by dropping the cooking temperature by about 25 degrees for part of the process, before bringing it back up to 150 degrees.

As well as featuring the family’s iconic branding, each packet of crisps carries information for the consumer to use the company’s innovative ‘spud nav.’ “Each bag has the field where we grew the potatoes, the variety and the person that cooked them, as well as the best before date,” explains Tom.

The post Irish crisps enter US market appeared first on Hort News.

Fruit supplier at centre of labour allegations

A recent undercover exposé of migrant workers at FW Mansfied & Son by Channel 4 News alleged that Romanian workers lived in ‘appalling conditions’ supplied by labour provider Pro-Force.

Channel 4 Business Editor Siobhan Kennedy said, ‘One Pro-Force manager filmed undercover tells the workers they must pay for gas and electricity… in addition, workers have to pay £5 a day for the shuttle bus that takes them to and from the field and pack house – again more potential income for Pro-Force. On one occasion, workers ask for a short break to have water. We witness the boss threatening to throw them all out and replace them with other workers.’ Channel 4’s report showed images of faeces-encrusted toilets; soiled, sodden carpets; mould-infested walls and dirty showers.

The Gangmasters Licensing Authority, together with customers Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer all launched investigations. Aldi and Waitrose also suspended their orders from Nickle Farm.

However, both FW Mansfied and Pro-Force hit back at the allegations. Matthew Jarrett, Managing Director, Pro-Force Limited commented, “Pro-Force operates in a highly regulated sector, and is under constant scrutiny by third party auditors. We are monitored continually, and have never failed any of the numerous unannounced audits carried out, demonstrating our best practice in all aspects of our business. He said that the footage had been, “edited together to create the impression Channel 4 News clearly wanted to portray.”

W Mansfield & Son described the Channel 4 News report as ‘false’, saying it painted a ‘highly selective and completely distorted and unrepresentative picture of our business.’

The post Fruit supplier at centre of labour allegations appeared first on Hort News.

Parsnips used to launch war on waste

Television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall used parsnips as an example of the waste in the food industry in the first of his two Hugh’s War on Waste programmes which was shown on BBC One on Monday 2 November.

He visited the Hammond family at Tattersett Farm in Norfolk where he saw 20 tons of parsnips a week wasted as they did not meet Morrisons’ specifications. Olly Hammond, who runs the family business with his mother Debbie, told the programme, “If we sent in these parsnips they would be rejected and returned the next day.”

Although the Hammonds were initially happy to appear on camera, they later withdrew from a follow-up piece, allegedly due to pressure from the supermarket, which also refused to discuss the issue on camera during the first episode. In a statement the company said it had previously tried to sell wonky parsnips but customers had not bought them.

The second episode of Hugh’s War on Waste will be screened on BBC One at 9 pm on Monday 9 November.

The post Parsnips used to launch war on waste appeared first on Hort News.

Produce Investments sees profits fall

Produce Investments, the parent company of potato packer Greenvale, has said that it will close the recently acquired Kent Potato Company after a metal contamination incident at its prepared foods business could remove between £300,000 and £1.5 million from its results next year. In its latest results revenues fell from £191.8 million last year to £178.4 million.

The AIM-listed company is still investigating the issue at its Swancote Foods subsidiary in Shropshire, after a mechanical failure resulted in the recall of potato salad and ready meal products across a range of customers.

In a statement the company said; “Following a recent review of potato packing operations, the company is proposing to transfer all packing and associated operations from its site in Kent to sites in Cambridgeshire and Scotland. Regrettably, this would mean the closure of The Kent Potato Company site with associated redundancies.”

The company has won a three-year agreement at a fixed margin with one of its main retail customers. However, the deal has come with a reduction in overall volume from next July.
Chief executive Angus Armstrong said; “While this reduction…is clearly disappointing, we are extremely pleased to have achieved this arrangement, a first for our business, a signal of market confidence in Produce Investments and a positive step forward.

“Consequently, as a result of the reduction in volume, the company is currently reviewing its requirements across its packing facilities, aligning capacity to forecast sales and therefore ensuring that the business remains efficient and cost competitive.”

The post Produce Investments sees profits fall appeared first on Hort News.

Tesco apologises and improves payment terms

Tesco has said it will simplify its payment terms to suppliers as chief executive Dave Lewis apologised for its past trading tactics.

He told the press; “I want to make an apology for the way we behaved in the past. We are recovering from big, bad decisions.” Reports suggest that the retailer, which saw its underlying profits for the first half of this year fall 55 per cent, is in secret talks with the Serious Fraud Office about its £326 million accounting black hole, possibly with a view to agreeing a deferred prosecution agreement which would allow it to admit wrongdoing but avoid any immediate criminal sanctions.

Speaking at and IGD Conference in London earlier in October, Mr Lewis said Tesco will no longer use a combination of complex and varied terms, but will introduce a standard approach, which will offer concessions to help small and medium-sized businesses. Smaller suppliers, who deliver up to £100,000 worth of products in a year, will be paid within 14 days, whilst medium-sized suppliers who deliver up to £10 million in product value per year, will have their accounts settled five days quicker than larger suppliers in their category. For those supplying fresh produce to Tesco, payments will be made in 23 days, instead of the current 28 days.

The post Tesco apologies and improves payment terms appeared first on Hort News.

Ex-Bartlett MD joins Tyrells

Paul Parkins, the former Managing Director of potato company Albert Bartlett is to join Tyrells as International Managing Director according to media reports.

The newly created role is designed to help deliver ‘ambitious expansion plans’. The Herefordshire-based crisp and snack company recently purchased Melbourne-based Yarra Valley Snack Foods in a move widely seen as the prelude to manufacturing Down Under.

Parkins, who was only MD at Bartletts for one year, left the firm in 2014 to work for a food consultancy company. “Paul is a strong addition to our growing team and his passion and experience within the food sector are second to none,” said Tyrell’s’ chief executive, David Milner. “We are in an exciting position following our recent Australian expansion and want to ensure we have all the correct tools and resources in place to take our plan one step further globally. I look forward to working with Paul to help accelerate the international growth of the brand and drive our international agenda forward.”

The post Ex-Bartlett MD joins Tyrells appeared first on Hort News.

GB seed potatoes promoted under new branding

AHDB Potatoes used the recent Potato Europe event in Belgium to introduce overseas buyers to their new identity.

AHDB Potatoes (formerly known as Potato Council) were on the GB seed and science stand at the event emphasising the high health, high quality reputation of British seed potatoes and providing a high-profile marketing and networking platform for GB seed exporters and related science organisations.

This year’s newly-branded stand showcased varieties and expertise from organisations and companies including as Greenvale, Cygnet PEP, Skea Organics, Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research, James Hutton Ltd, Scottish Government, IPM Potatoes and Cullen Allen. According to AHDB potatoes, the stand welcomed hundreds of international visitors over the two-day event. Visitors were also able to enjoy tasty cooked samples of GB varieties, supplied by the exhibitors and cooked freshly on the stand.

Greenvale’s General Manager in Scotland, Gordon Stark reported, “We attend this event every year. It’s vital for us to maintain our high profile with the international potato community and we see new people each time, as well as keeping in touch with existing contacts and friends.”

The international potato and horticulture communities will also see AHDB Potatoes and AHDB Horticulture exhibiting together alongside leading GB potato and horticulture organisations at next February’s Fruit Logistica event in Berlin (3-5 February 2016).

The post GB seed potatoes promoted under new branding appeared first on Hort News.

New Dutch greenhouse alliance

The five biggest growers’ associations in The Netherlands have agreed to a new partnership under the name Federatie Vruchtgroente Organisaties (the Dutch Federation of Fruiting Vegetable Associations) or FVO.

The new group claims to represent more than 70 per cent of all Dutch greenhouse crops and is working alongside the Dutch government and Rabobank to restructure and develop greenhouse horticulture in the Netherlands.

Headed by former Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Cees Veerman, the group will work to implement the recommendations of the McKinsey report published in late 2014 which warned that much of the sector was struggling. “We are not out to achieve overnight results with this process but are taking a more in-depth, careful and deliberate approach. We are pleased that the foundation has been laid,” commented Mr Veerman.

The five growers’ associations behind the Dutch Federation of Fruiting Vegetable Associations are: Best of Four, DOOR, The Greenery, Harvest House and Van Nature.

The post New Dutch greenhouse alliance appeared first on Hort News.

Syngenta outlines pipeline of new chemistry

On 16 September Syngenta outlined its pipeline of new product innovations during an Investor Day held at its research centre at Stein in Switzerland.

In crop protection, the company showcased its technology pipeline of nine new active ingredients including the breakthrough, broad spectrum fungicide ADEPIDYN™ (pydiflumetofen) and ORONDIS™ for vegetables and specialty crops, which the Syngenta hopes will reinforce its global leadership in fungicides. The pipeline also includes new insecticides, herbicides and seed treatments.

Trish Malarkey, Head of Research and Development, said, “We are accelerating the rate of our innovation while further improving productivity and return on investment. We are at the beginning of an exciting period in the innovation journey of Syngenta with cutting-edge science driving significant value creation in the short, medium and long-term across all technologies.”

The post Syngenta outlines pipeline of new chemistry appeared first on Hort News.