Pesticide Contracting

[Runwood]

I am thinking of starting up a small pesticide application contracting business. I would be using a quad-mounted boom sprayer and trailing a weed wiper initially. I was also thinking of having a topper and harrow in the medium term for other work.

I live in Northumberland and am putting myself through the various tickets now needed to operate this kit.

I was wondering whether anyone would think that this was a good idea and whether farmers and paddock owners would be interested in a service like this?

 

[Zebbedee]

There will be plenty interested but not enough willing to pay enough to make a living at it I reckon

 

[rob1]

I am thinking of starting up a small pesticide application contracting business. I would be using a quad-mounted boom sprayer and trailing a weed wiper initially. I was also thinking of having a topper and harrow in the medium term for other work.

I live in Northumberland and am putting myself through the various tickets now needed to operate this kit.

I was wondering whether anyone would think that this was a good idea and whether farmers and paddock owners would be interested in a service like this?

round here there is loads of work on horsey paddocks doing that sort of work, get some cards printed up and go round the stables and small holdings and drop them off, just dont do it at the ones that are a shambles and dont look like they have any cash, profit margins are much better than doing farm work

 

[TripleSix]

Chap near us does exactly that.

Quad sprayer, weed wiper.
Also does rodent and mole and rabbit control.
As well as pheasant rearing...

Seems to do ok...

 

[2wheels]

please stop calling it pesticide. it should be crop or plant protection products. i know pesticide is the "official" term but it should have never been foisted on us as it seems to scare the ignorant public.
best of luck with your venture. be sure to have good insurance cover.

 

[Runwood]

There will be plenty interested but not enough willing to pay enough to make a living at it I reckon

Thanks, and I thought pretty much the same. Would probably have to try and fit other work around it, especially over the winter.

 

[Runwood]

round here there is loads of work on horsey paddocks doing that sort of work, get some cards printed up and go round the stables and small holdings and drop them off, just dont do it at the ones that are a shambles and dont look like they have any cash, profit margins are much better than doing farm work

There seems to be a fair bit of paddock and small holdings round here, even Llama breeding. I was certainly going to try and tap into that market as well.

 

[Runwood]

please stop calling it pesticide. it should be crop or plant protection products. i know pesticide is the "official" term but it should have never been foisted on us as it seems to scare the ignorant public.
best of luck with your venture. be sure to have good insurance cover.

Thanks for the comment on insurance cover & I already have professional liability insurance from some other work that I do.
Maybe the public should be taught to understand where their food really comes from? One young lad I knew genuinely thought that milk was just coloured water and a young lass didn't realise beef came from cows. I grew up in the countryside but many more didn't.

 

[rob1]

Thanks for the comment on insurance cover & I already have professional liability insurance from some other work that I do.
Maybe the public should be taught to understand where their food really comes from? One young lad I knew genuinely thought that milk was just coloured water and a young lass didn't realise beef came from cows. I grew up in the countryside but many more didn't.

If you do spraying I would take out specific insurance for crop damage as well as public liability as there is then no argument that you are covered

 

[Runwood]

If you do spraying I would take out specific insurance for crop damage as well as public liability as there is then no argument that you are covered

Thanks, sound advice!

 

[Punch]

Would you need a BASIS adviser to do recommendations and supply?
Sort that side first with a local company. Also make sure it's evident in all the paperwork for grazing intervals. I even go as far as to put dates when stock are allowed to re-enter!
Best of luck.

 

[Runwood]

Would you need a BASIS adviser to do recommendations and supply?
Sort that side first with a local company. Also make sure it's evident in all the paperwork for grazing intervals. I even go as far as to put dates when stock are allowed to re-enter!
Best of luck.

Many thanks for your helpful advice. I know of one agronomist in the area who might be of help. The nearest company I know of is based in Kelso, just over the Border - possibly soon to be part of the EU?

 

[Ben M]

I did quad bike spraying for a while, the actual jobs paid well but juat not enough of them really. Slug pelleting is the easiest money you will ever make with a quad.

Try and charge per job, not by the hour. Or at least say something like £30 per hour and a minimum charge of 3hrs etc.

Horsey customers were generally good to deal with but the properties a nightmare, tiny paddocks ment so much messing around. Try to think out of the box. Spraying weeds and establishing grass on a 40ac solar panel farm was good work i undertook. Look at a mini gritter for car parks. Make a timber trailer if you good with tools and haul wood for farmers on sensitive sites.

 

[Runwood]

There will be plenty interested but not enough willing to pay enough to make a living at it I reckon

Generally I agree. Will have to try and fit other bits and pieces around it as suggested elsewhere

 

[Runwood]

please stop calling it pesticide. it should be crop or plant protection products. i know pesticide is the "official" term but it should have never been foisted on us as it seems to scare the ignorant public.
best of luck with your venture. be sure to have good insurance cover.

Of course you're right and the new 'legal' terminology is Plant Protection Products, or P3 for short.

 

[Runwood]

I did quad bike spraying for a while, the actual jobs paid well but juat not enough of them really. Slug pelleting is the easiest money you will ever make with a quad.

Try and charge per job, not by the hour. Or at least say something like £30 per hour and a minimum charge of 3hrs etc.

Horsey customers were generally good to deal with but the properties a nightmare, tiny paddocks ment so much messing around. Try to think out of the box. Spraying weeds and establishing grass on a 40ac solar panel farm was good work i undertook. Look at a mini gritter for car parks. Make a timber trailer if you good with tools and haul wood for farmers on sensitive sites.

Thanks, thats really helpful and sound advice. We have a lot of paddocks up here, some of them quite large and the rates/fees you suggest seem really sensible.
We have Natural England SSSIs up here and I have an agronomist contact with them hopefully. Mostly wind farms here right now but talk of some solar panel farms so a great suggestion to think out wide.
I like the idea of a timber trailer too, and quite useful around this neck of the woods.
Thanks again!

 

[Sussex Martin]

This neck of the wood , giza clue and put it in your profile, may get some enquiries if you are in someone else's neck of the woods .

 

[Runwood]

Good point, well made. Live up in Northumberland, just havent figured out how to add anything to my profile!

 

[Runwood]

If you do spraying I would take out specific insurance for crop damage as well as public liability as there is then no argument that you are covered

 

[Runwood]

Most of the work around here is grassland and paddocks, so its sheep, cattle and horses, with the odd goat and llama thrown in. The NFU dont seem to want to touch the Insurance side & I'm struggling to know how best to cover this side of the business. In a recent quote I've had to consider a footpath crossing the land and, again, everyone I speak to - from an insurance perspective - doesn't seem to want to handle this.
Am I just being dense or, as I suspect, this is such a new situation that the Insurers just don't yet know how to cost the liability issues. If anyone has any suggestions on who to contact on insurance I would be be very grateful!