Synonymous with technology – South East Farmer
There is considerable modesty in director Mike Hutchinson's reply when asked what his grandfather Herbert would have thought of the Hutchinsons stand at this year’s National Fruit Show ...
“I think he would probably be quite proud,” was Mike’s reply, considerably downplaying the extent to which the agronomy firm has grown since his grandfather founded the business 85 years ago.
Herbert began by selling crop protection products around the Wisbech area in 1938. Today, while Hutchinsons still has its headquarters in the Cambridgeshire market town, it operates from Truro to Aberdeen and from Canterbury to Carlisle, with a workforce of 500 people supplying farmers and growers out of no fewer than 27 depots.
And while the past is clearly important to any business, Hutchinsons is as future-led as any – and considerably more than most. Its name has come to be synonymous with technology, with its TerraMap soil analytics system and Omnia precision farming software leading the way in data-led farming.
Mike pulls no punches regarding the outstanding TerraMap package. “It’s simply better than anything else on the market,” he confirmed, pointing out that the analysis was based on sampling 800 points per hectare while rival packages relied on “eight to ten”.
While the high-tech focus establishes Hutchinsons forward-thinking approach, its dedication to its customer base pays tribute to its roots. “Our attitude today is fundamentally different to what it was 85 years ago, and yet in many ways it is fundamentally the same,” explained Mike.
“We are committed to the sector, we are here to serve farmers and growers and we believe that if we continue to provide services of value with integrity and honesty then we will continue to be successful. That’s been our outlook since grandfather’s time and it continues to drive us forward today.”
TerraMap relies on scanning beneath the surface of the field as well as taking a number of physical samples, creating an accurate and detailed map of the soil and its make up that allows inputs to be calculated far more accurately than would otherwise be the case.
For best results, the collected data is then analysed by Hutchinsons Omnia software to support soil analysis, yield mapping and fertiliser inputs, all aimed at supporting efficient, data-driven and profitable farming.
One of the advantages of Omnia is that it is not tied to TerraMap but can take data from a range of sources and can also communicate the processed data to other third party equipment. “Hutchinsons is adamant that the data belongs to the farmer, not to the system,” Mike explained.
On the cards but still under wraps is another software launch from Hutchinsons that Mike hinted would “complete the circle” and allow complete, ‘one click’ integration of the collected data with the management application. “It will be a case of input once and use forever,” he added.
While technology is at the heart of the business, the human connection is also vital to Hutchinsons, which values its team and invest heavily in training and development. “We have always believed in recruiting the best people and investing in their skills,” commented Mike, who pointed out that alongside TerraMap and Omnia, the company was renowned for its more mainstream agronomy services and advice.
Another important weapon in the company’s armoury is its Helios farms, one in East Kent and one in the West Midlands, where Hutchinsons is able to run long-term trials, checking out variables such as planting systems, varieties, inputs and techniques. “We can try out things it wouldn’t be fair to ask growers to do,” Mike commented.
And as to the future? “Farmers and growers are going through some tough times, but these are also exciting times,” he commented. “New techniques will continue to improve the way we grow things and targeted technology will be increasingly important in the future. Hutchinsons will continue to support the sector by remaining open-minded, flexible and tech aware.”
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