ADVISOR TO THE FRENCH
Mr. Roger Waite is manager of a three-farm, 630-hectare unit which is handled by Velcourt Ltd, one of the country’s leading companies specializing in partnership farming.
Mr. Waite, who lives at Old Forge Lane, Sutton, with his wife and two sons, joined Velcourt eight years ago as a tractor driver, working his way up to become a working foreman and then a manager.
He now has the task of spending up to 20 days a year with a score of the most successful wheat and barley growers in the Cooperatif Agricole du Syndicat a’Arras.
In the main he will be offering advice on husbandry techniques, agrochemicals, fertilizer rates and usages, disease recognition and new varieties to improve cereal production.
The farmers involved- all members of the CASA Ten-Tonne club- have a total of around 2,500 hectares devoted to winter wheat and barley, with break crops of sugar beet, potatoes and peas.
Contact between CASA and Velcourt came about when the cooperatives Ten-Tonne club were guests last year of the Wingham Ten-Tonne Club, of which Mr. Waite is a member.
The French Group visited his unit and were so impressed by what they saw that their Director General came back to visit the unit on two occasions.
A deal was then negotiated with Velcourt Management Services Ltd, which offers farmers in Britain and abroad a general agrochemical and crop protection consultancy by which Mr. Waite would give the French farmers the benefit of his skill and experience.
His Dover unit is currently one of the most productive in the Velcourt group.
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Sutton farmer Mr. Roger Waite who is going to advice the French on cereal crops
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