Experienced agronomist Andrew Paines has joined Agrovista’s Appleton-based team where he will work with established and new farmer customers across Cheshire and Lancashire advising on a range of arable and forage crops.

Andrew, who grew up on a small family farm near Bath, Somerset, gained a degree in agriculture at the University of Reading and has since spent 10 years in the sector.

“I always wanted to pursue a career in agriculture,” said Andrew. “I spent my younger years working on farms, gaining experience in dairy, large-scale arable and potato production during school and university holidays.

“After graduating, I started my career in agronomy, advising growers across the southern counties where I gained BASIS and FACTS qualifications alongside valuable experience in the field.”

More recently, Andrew has been working in the digital agriculture space, researching how technology and innovative solutions can be integrated into global and UK production systems.

Andrew expects to bring this wide range of skills into play in his new position. “Cropping in my area predominantly includes cereals, forage, and potatoes and I will also be involved with advising and supporting SFI applications and their implementation.

“Agrovista has a fantastic reputation in the agricultural industry, providing a wide range of services to their customers. It was exactly the kind of business I wanted to join.

“I look forward to working with the team and utilising my experience and knowledge gained across various areas of the industry to help growers optimise their cropping enterprises and achieve the best results for their businesses.”

Phil Campion, area sales manager for the agronomy team based at Appleton near Warrington, said: “We are thrilled to have Andrew join our ever-expanding team here in the North West.

“He has shown an enthusiasm and keenness to cover a lot of ground since starting with us. His broad experience and knowledge of the wider technologies within the industry will stand him in good stead to help growers navigate the challenges and agronomy issues they face in this area.”