Based in Shropshire, PDM Produce (UK) Ltd are one of the UK’s leading specialist lettuce and baby leaf growers and processors; supplying many of Britain’s leading retailers, processing and food service companies, fresh food wholesalers and specialist outlets. Although being based in a non-traditional salad producing area, PDM Produce offers a geographical spread of supply due to location. Resulting in reduced food miles and increased supply of UK grown produce across the Country.

Within the land base of operations, the family own and farm approximately 1,100 acres and rents a further 1,500 acres on annual agreements across Shropshire. Today, the business employs over 200 full time members of staff and a further 500 seasonal staff for planting and harvesting production. PDM Produce (UK) Ltd focus their growing element to concentrate on reducing input costs. And increasing yields, ensuring continuity of product, as well as growing to exact customer specifications. Philip Maddocks Farms has therefore developed its planting regime to reflect these principles. And continually works to introduce ways of increasing efficiency, including investment into new machinery.

After taking delivery of their fourth Agrifac self-propelled Crop Sprayer. PDM Produce were the first company in the UK to incorporate and benefit from the features of the new 8000 litre Agrifac Endurance II machine, complete with a 54 metre boom.

PDM Produce wanted to grow in a blocking system where the sprayer and the irrigators travel in the same tramline. This has only been made possible with the introduction of the Endurance II with its 54 metre boom. Talking to Dermot Tobin, Managing Director of Farming at PDM Produce, about their reasons for purchasing the new state-of-the-art sprayer. He began: “We were finding previously that we were getting lots of crop damage from the sprayer. And the irrigators all being different widths, therefore travelling in different tramlines up the crops”. Dermot continued: “With the new Endurance II, we’ve now been able to standardise all our irrigation booms to irrigate at 52 meters. Our cropping system is now 48 meters of crop with a 4 meter gap, which all irrigators and the sprayer now travel along; allowing us to stop any machinery driving over the cropped area once planted or drilled”.

Speaking to Sprayer Operator Dave Jones about the machine switch. He commented: “When they said they were going to a 54 metre machine. My main concern was how I was going to be able to control the boom, but I’ve not had any issues at all. I’ve never been in any other machine where the boom stability rivals this, not even our previous Condor IV. I can set the boom at 50cm above the ground and that’s where it will stay regardless of the field we’re working in.

Commenting on their overall satisfaction of the new machine. As well as how they have found working with Agrifac UK over the years. Dave told us: “I’d recommend this sprayer to absolutely anyone. It’s not just the features, but the backup and support from the whole team at Agrifac is second to none. Even if they can’t get out here to support us in the field, they’ll talk us through everything to bypass any issues and get us up and running again. I can phone them up any time and be safe in the knowledge that they’ll be able to help me with whatever question or query I throw at them.”