Agronomists

TopBanana

Member
Do you need to separate advice from supply?

I'm all for getting value for money and paying for a good independent service which serves my business. But do I need to separate advice and supply to deconflict the two?

I'm starting to think there's a conflict of interest in getting the same person to advice and then supply. With this in mind I'm interested to hear views. I think decoupling and getting a different supply chain may make my business more profitable and I'll maybe get a different approach to recommendations.
 

Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
I like the fact the two are separate. It gives me 100% trust in my agronomist and his justification for his decisions even if I disagree with them. That is worth a lot to me.

I totally agree. I know the agronomist is doing the best for me and not somebody else in the chain.

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Steevo

Member
Location
Gloucestershire
One thing I would be slightly mindful of....if you wanted to keep your distributor agronomist, but put supply out to a wider market. The distributor agronomist's employer will prefer they prescribe a distributor only product, rather than the generic version. The agronomist therefore gets used to prescribing this product by name. If they recommend that product to you by brand name, rather than generic brand name you won't be able to get comparisons as it can only be supplied by that company.

Tracker (233g/l epoxi + 65g/l boscalid) for example is also marketed as Chord (for Hutchinsons I belive) in concentration 210g/l + 75g/l. Essentially the same product, but slightly tweaked to make it unique to them.

If prescribed Chord...Tracker would be the product you would need to be quoted on from others to get a close comparison.

Same goes for Aviator etc. Each distributor seems to have their own tweaked version of it unique to them.

Why do they make it so confusing and such hard work?! Well to make it hard work and discourage you from doing it.
 

Farmer Roy

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
NSW, Newstralya
Yes, I went down the road of an independent agronomist about 2 yrs ago, allows me freedom to shop around for inputs, as well as being far more open to not just relying on " bag or bottle " solutions.
Sales agronomists are expected to sell. Their employers don't make any money out of them suggesting cultural or biological options to synthetic ones . . .
With an independent agro, YOU are their employer
 

Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
One thing I would be slightly mindful of....if you wanted to keep your distributor agronomist, but put supply out to a wider market. The distributor agronomist's employer will prefer they prescribe a distributor only product, rather than the generic version. The agronomist therefore gets used to prescribing this product by name. If they recommend that product to you by brand name, rather than generic brand name you won't be able to get comparisons as it can only be supplied by that company.

Tracker (233g/l epoxi + 65g/l boscalid) for example is also marketed as Chord (for Hutchinsons I belive) in concentration 210g/l + 75g/l. Essentially the same product, but slightly tweaked to make it unique to them.

If prescribed Chord...Tracker would be the product you would need to be quoted on from others to get a close comparison.

Same goes for Aviator etc. Each distributor seems to have their own tweaked version of it unique to them.

Why do they make it so confusing and such hard work?! Well to make it hard work and discourage you from doing it.

This is exactly what I did to start with. Kept agronomist and shopped for chems. Just made me realise how the chemical companies work. Was only a year before the independent agronomist started.

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Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
Do you need to separate advice from supply?

I'm all for getting value for money and paying for a good independent service which serves my business. But do I need to separate advice and supply to deconflict the two?

I'm starting to think there's a conflict of interest in getting the same person to advice and then supply. With this in mind I'm interested to hear views. I think decoupling and getting a different supply chain may make my business more profitable and I'll maybe get a different approach to recommendations.

How about an independent agronomist with their own buying group? That way you get joined up knowledge of the best value product. Not being 100% sure of your exact location in Dorset, I'd say that Crop Management Partners (and Agritek buying arm) or Crop Advisors will have someone in your area. CMP have agronomists with Conservation Agriculture clients.
 

parker

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
south staffs
Been independent for about ten years now would never go back, what I save on chemicals by shopping around nearly pays for my agronomy bill, and I am always sure their is no commercial gain to be had, but I have also never gained by being in buying groups as I have always been able to get a better deal much to their disgust
 
Location
Cheshire
Been independent for about ten years now would never go back, what I save on chemicals by shopping around nearly pays for my agronomy bill, and I am always sure their is no commercial gain to be had, but I have also never gained by being in buying groups as I have always been able to get a better deal much to their disgust

Which ones have you tried? I'm surprised they take that view. Some guys know how to get a deal and usually there is mutual respect between parties.
 

Rob Holmes

Moderator
BASIS
Been independent for about ten years now would never go back, what I save on chemicals by shopping around nearly pays for my agronomy bill, and I am always sure their is no commercial gain to be had, but I have also never gained by being in buying groups as I have always been able to get a better deal much to their disgust
Playing devil's advocate here:

If the savings nearly pays for agronomy bill, then surely you'd be better off with serviced agronomy?
 

Farmer Roy

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
NSW, Newstralya
Agronomy doesn't just cover chem & fert recommendations . . .
An independent agro may advise to do nothing, to change rotation, a biological solution, maybe tillage instead of a spray, perhaps different varieties . . . or one of many things that may be in the best interest of their client but doesn't necessarily result in any sales !
One of my contracting clients is an ex agro for one of the largest Ag chem & fert resellers in the country. He has quite an interest in other solutions rather than just the " bag & bottle " ones, building soil biology, using green manure or cover crops etc - anyway, management didn't look favourably on that & he got a bollocking for not selling enough product. Part of the reason he quit & now farms for himself. He also uses the same independent agro I do.
 

Big-Al

Member
Haven't seen one of our (independent )agronomists since May the 5th and only twice since October not sure whether to change him this year, he has had enough warnings over the years, but he is good with his mixes a conundrum i think. i have two independent and one on the books for a chemical company. and yes chem company a lot more money.
 

TopBanana

Member
I trust my agronomist and have respect for his knowledge and not really looking to jump ship. It takes time to build trust.
The question is whether I need to invest the time into shopping around for chem, fert & seed.
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
Do you need to separate advice from supply?

I'm all for getting value for money and paying for a good independent service which serves my business. But do I need to separate advice and supply to deconflict the two?

I'm starting to think there's a conflict of interest in getting the same person to advice and then supply. With this in mind I'm interested to hear views. I think decoupling and getting a different supply chain may make my business more profitable and I'll maybe get a different approach to recommendations.

Would you ask a car salesman if you need a new car ?

Supply agronomy has a place but does have a big cost. If your farming any kind of acreage then the savings from a good independent will be massive

It's not just the price difference if inputs you need to consider it's multitude of "extra" they sell

In perspective one of my contract farm clients has just compared his long established supply agronomy to independent - the Indy is £20/t better margining wheat ! That's £60-£80/ac ! And this was on a big acreage

Guess what he's doing next year ....

I think there is a big trend right now away from supply agronomy, question is are there enough good independents to service that ?
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
I trust my agronomist and have respect for his knowledge and not really looking to jump ship. It takes time to build trust.
The question is whether I need to invest the time into shopping around for chem, fert & seed.

He can't be expected to work for free

If you like him and he does a good job why not ask to pay a agronomy fee and buy your inputs yourself on quote ?
 

TopBanana

Member
He can't be expected to work for free

If you like him and he does a good job why not ask to pay a agronomy fee and buy your inputs yourself on quote ?

I'd pay him more if he could secure the best product at the best price.

I do pay a set fee and like I said I would happily increase it. My issue is I'd struggle to go out shopping for prices on chem given the time this takes, more potential for the other inputs though.
 

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quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

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