Insight into the Brussel Sprout market with John Cranwell
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A recent sales meeting in the Adelaide hills demonstrated a real-world example of the Corteva Agrisciences mission to engage with customers in an effort to better understand their needs.
The Corteva team are determined to delve deeper than just the chemical inputs required on farm, but also to know the day to day trials our customers face. As such, Nairne Brussel sprout grower John Cranwell played host to a small team of Corteva staff, all looking to gain insights into his daily routine.
The visitors included, amongst others, Nick Weckert the local Territory Account Manager, Andrew Cossar the Southern Area Sales Leader and Kirsty Ebert, Corteva’s Australian Sales Director. The team was even represented on an international level by Peter Ford President of Corteva Agriscience Asia Pacific region.
John explained to his visitors that growing a crop which takes 7 months from planting to harvest presented a unique range of challenges. John packs on farm and therefore must ensure that the crop cycle is managed in such a way as to guarantee that there is always work for his staff and that the shed is always busy. Supplying produce to both domestic and international markets means that John must keep MRLs top of mind to avoid missing out on (or destroying) market opportunities. He was recently pleased to find out about a reduction in MRLs for Transform® Isoclast active Insecticide into Japan allowing him another late crop control option against sucking pests.
The main pest pressure for John comes from Diamond Back Moth, a pest notorious for developing resistance to chemical control options. While John is still achieving excellent control with Success Neo and some group 28 options he is very aware of the need to manage these products to keep them working for him. To this end he has introduced an IPM program and a range of cultural control options in order to maintain his beneficial pest populations thus reducing his reliance on chemicals.
Nick Weckert, the Territory Account Manager for this area said that John was surprised and impressed to have staff from a local, national and international management level interested in his views and feedback. One takeaway for Nick was when John stated that irrespective of the market price or demand for his sprouts, it is incumbent on him to not skimp on his inputs. Only by ensuring that he produces consistent, high quality produce will he guarantee that his buyers keep coming back. In farming as in so many other walks of life, reputation is everything
Kirsty Ebert Australian Sales Director said that she was determined to do more visits like this. “Whenever we talk to our customers we gain insights. Sometimes they will present problems that we can provide solutions for and at other times, just understanding their mindset can help us service them better.”
Corteva Agriscience team on farm with local Brussel Sprout grower John Cranwell
