Velcourt Ltd., who now farm 14,000 acres of arable land in 15 countries, have added a helicopter to their list of management aids. Using the American-made Enstrom F28A helicopter, director Elliott Rhys Thomas can inspect 500 acres of arable land in 20min and 'pin-point troubles before they occur.'

The helicopter costs the company £20/hr to operate and has a range of 250 miles. It can hover about 4ft above the ground while the pilot scans the land for any signs of pests and disease. Velcourt have also recently taken delivery of six Claas Dominator 100 combines to help harvest £1 million worth of grain this summer. This latest acuisition brings their force of Dominator 100's to a total of 10. The first, bought in 1972, has harvested 2,700 acres in two seasons.