How HarvestEye Handheld Helped RG Abrey Farms Streamline Potato Sampling

The Challenge

RG Abrey Farms, a third-generation family farming business in Suffolk, UK, faced the challenge of manually measuring potatoes to understand size profiles. Each sample took approximately 15 minutes, and given their need to complete hundreds of samples each season, this was a highly time-consuming and labour-intensive process. The inefficiency was a significant barrier to optimising their productivity and resource allocation.

The Solution

RG Abrey Farms had already been using HarvestEye technology on their harvester for a few years, but they decided to invest in the HarvestEye Handheld variant to address their sampling inefficiencies. After evaluating the benefits, they found that the HarvestEye Handheld could significantly reduce the time required for sampling. 'The HarvestEye Handheld has really helped us with our marketability, being able to predict yield earlier than ever before. This helps us to make quicker and better choices' said Marianne Goodchild, Potato Executive at RG Abrey Farms. By integrating this handheld device into their operations, they streamlined the process of sampling and measuring crop sizes, getting results back to their mobiles within 60 seconds, making it more accurate and rapid.

The Results

The implementation of the HarvestEye Handheld brought remarkable results for RG Abrey Farms. They saw a dramatic reduction in the time spent per sample—from 15 minutes down to just 3 minutes—resulting in an 80% reduction in sampling time. This efficiency gain enabled them to complete more samples in less time, thereby enhancing their overall productivity. The farm could now allocate their resources better, focusing on other critical areas of their operations. With the farm operating across 7,500 acres and specialising in root vegetables, these advancements have been crucial in supporting their reputation for innovation and efficiency.