As the horticultural industry evolves, Fargro – established over 75 years ago – has stayed one step ahead by providing technical, support-based services to commercial growers throughout the UK. Professional growers in the Fargro community are able to tap into specialist expertise. Whether that means quick delivery of the highest quality growing media, materials and equipment, advice on optimising yield, keeping pests at bay and protecting plants or access to flexible financial solutions and energy services − Fargro provides the support and advice needed.
From its state-of-the-art distribution centre in Arundel, West Sussex, Fargro supplies direct to growers in the South and South East and − via a network of UK and European-wide distributors − to businesses further afield.
Keeping abreast of the latest Integrated Pest Management (IPM) trends, the Fargro technical team is a recognised authority in the field of bio-pesticides and IPM-compatible plant protection products for the ornamental, top and soft fruit, amenity, forestry and field vegetable sectors.
The bio team is based at the Arundel office supported by a field-based technical team – all BASIS and FACTS qualified – who are on the road visiting customers.
“We offer our customers a specialist support-based service,” explains Fargro’s Business Development Manager, Simon Bell. “Our experts are on hand to help with a broad range of queries relating to pesticides and fungicides, but most importantly to help growers introduce IPM to their growing cycles. Alongside the technical field-based team, our strong sales team covers our main territories – most are BASIS qualified.
“Fargro’s ethos is to provide effective solutions while minimising any potential negative impacts on the environment or the user.”
One-stop-shop
“Working closely with suppliers on a daily basis, we set out to provide a one-stop shop – supplying everything that growers need for the season ahead,’’ explains Simon. “We have worked with ICL from the beginning, initially under the Fisons banner.”
Today, Simon works closely with locally based ICL technical area sales manager Steve Chapman. “Steve has excellent growing experience and ICL product knowledge, having worked as a nursery manager for a large, high profile Kent nursery,” says Simon. “As a previous customer of both ICL and Fargro, he understands the growers’ perspective.
“ICL’s products are among the best in the industry. They offer the complete growing solution − growing media, nutrition and plant protection. Backed up by excellent technical support, we have complete confidence working with ICL. We view the relationship as more of a partnership – both being committed to products at the top of their game to optimise plant quality.”
As to major challenges that lie ahead, Simon highlights the gradual loss of conventional pesticides. “We believe biopesticides are essential to modern day growing and aim to lead the way helping growers incorporate them in to programmes tailored to their crops and growing cycles,” he says.
“As an industry we need to continually move forward, looking ahead and consider how we can keep pests at bay, increase crop yield or quality as well as protect the environment and work in more sustainable ways. Fargro is at the forefront of providing innovative products and technology to help growers produce a better product whist being more cost effective at the same time.
“Our partnership with 30MHz is an example. 30MHz provide and deploy sensors that convey real time information to a dashboard easily accessible to the grower and our technical specialists. This enables collaborative decision making with real-time data allowing growers to improve their yield and reduce their costs throughout the growing season.”
Fargro head office: Vinery Fields, Arundel Road, Poling, Arundel, West Sussex, BN18 9PY. 01903 726100 / [email protected]
Technical advice: 01903 256856 / [email protected]