Agricultural companies agree to collaborate
Agrovista UK Ltd, Farmway Ltd and Openfield Ltd have announced a tri-party strategic alliance to serve the UK agricultural market, providing agronomy, research, storage and marketing to the UK agricultural market.
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This development will see the bringing together of the agronomic expertise and technical innovation of Agrovista, the seed production expertise and storage capabilities of Farmway, and the seed supply and end-market knowledge and experience of Openfield.
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This alliance combines the complementary strengths of the three organisations, allowing each to maintain and specialise in their own core competencies, whilst working together to provide the ultimate collaborative independent research, technical advice and inputs service to growers.’’
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An immediate benefit will be the establishment of joint trials and shared information, which will provide a clear focus for product research and market delivery going forward. Through the partners existing technical work, the shared knowledge will provide their agronomists and crop specialists with the very latest in practical technical innovation. This platform will be central in helping deliver agronomic packages which meet market-leading consumer led, variety specific end market contracts. The venture will provide a more complete, joined up supply chain solution, offering a package to food, drink and feed manufacturers that exceeds their quality and traceability needs.
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This agreement will provide opportunities for professional UK growers to access key markets with value added benefits, whether growing for food markets,’ providing key ingredients for animal feeds and the bio-fuels industry. Access to knowledge and expertise in growing high quality, environmentally sound crops for specific end markets will be increased for growers and will open up new channels of marketing both at home and abroad.
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James Robertson, managing director and group chairman of Agrovista comments, ’This alliance offers an alternative, independent approach to the market based on technical excellence and expertise is backed by three key customer-focussed and respected companies. The scale of the combined seed business puts us in a commanding position for the new technology due to arrive in the next few years.’ In addition, bringing Marubeni’s grain business, one of the largest in the world into the arrangement adds exciting opportunities.’
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Peter Hull, Chief Executive, Farmway commented, ’This collaboration is part of Farmway’s strategy to deliver choice, quality and good value products with relevant expertise to meet our customer’s requirements. Our co-operation with Agrovista and Openfield enables us to leverage market-leading technical expertise for the benefit of our farming customers.’
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Tim Davies, group managing director for Openfield comments ’This development will give our customers access and knowledge to the very latest technology and product innovation. The joint development work will continue to strengthen the offer to the UK agricultural industry and allow us to further develop an independent and un-biased route to market for UK growers benefit.’
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The three companies will continue to maintain their independence and business structures, but will collaborate and share technical knowledge, end market solutions and widen the offers available to customers and clients. All three companies have a compatible management approach and strategic vision for the future UK arable marketplace, with business synergies in the UK and beyond. This capitalises on the skills and experiences of the staff of all three companies across all aspects of the food chain, animal feed markets and the bio-fuels industry.
