After recently celebrating her 1-year anniversary at AF, Hannah Carthy has stepped up into the role of interim Seed Procurement Manager.
Before joining your AF team, I worked in trials for the British Beet Research Organisation . As part of their field team, I was involved in drilling, harvesting and data collection, learning how trials and variety selection work. I’ve also worked in wheat trials at the John Innes Centre, specifically on a project for lodging resistance. My hands-on experience means I know how to interpret what trials data is telling us.
Having worked in your AF team as Crop Inputs Specialist for over a year I’ve enjoyed working between the crop protection and seed teams, depending which product area was under most pressure.
I find seed really interesting - learning about new varieties, how they work on farm, why people choose them, and why they don't! I’m excited to have earned the opportunity to do a secondment and step up into the role of interim Seed Procurement Manager, working on the business side of things including pricing and discussions with suppliers.
It’s so interesting to hear Members’ perspectives. Everything goes through trials, producing results and data we can review, but Members have experience on farm that shapes their opinions. At the moment, we’re hearing from Members they’re very concerned about cabbage stem flea beetle in oilseed rape, whether varieties are resilient to that or not.
The oilseed rape market has been declining recently, but the crop from last year is looking good, which has given people hope for this year. I’ve seen a definite shift – Members are asking “what variety should I grow”, rather than “why should I grow it at all?”.
I’m speaking with our suppliers about varieties they're recommending and comparing that with varieties that Members are asking for. We're getting into cereal season and Members are ordering the new varieties. Some are keen to try new varieties, whilst others prefer to wait, see how a new variety performs in its first year and then decide whether to try it themselves.
Hannah meeting with independent agronomists at AF HQ
I foresee the hybrid markets growing over the next few years. They tend to be less susceptible to environmental pressures and, with our changing climate, that’s an increasingly important trait. Withstanding a wet winter and spring, then a dry summer, is vital. Some Members already include hybrids as part of their rotation but I think they will become increasingly common and I’m working with suppliers and breeders to make sure Members have access to these varieties.
Environmental mixes are having a turbulent time, whilst the government decides what will happen with Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) but Members already in the scheme will need seed so I’ll be ensuring they have access to all the compliant mixes.
I give Members one piece of advice about ordering seed: if you know what you need, get your order in early. This is especially important for new varieties, or varieties likely to be in short supply.
"Think of us as one of your team. Tell us your plans and we’ll let you know when prices are available, it’s one less thing for you to have to think about."
For now, availability is generally good except for new Group 1 wheat KWS Vibe which is currently sold out. There may be more available after harvest, but initial quantities are conservative because of challenging growing conditions this year.
Although it’s hard to tell before harvest, suppliers are generally optimistic about yields. In August, we’ll share an availability update for key varieties with Members, to help if you’re still deciding on varieties.
Hannah Carthy, AF Seed Procurement Manager
Want to know more about how your AF Crop Inputs team could help you? See what we can do for your business. Or to discuss the inputs you need get in touch:
