40 M H POSKITT LTD JUN / JUL 2018 • farmers-mart. co. uk
40 M H POSKITT LTD JUN / JUL 2018 • farmers-mart. co. uk
Ensuring a great service
“ A good operator and routine biological and technical service are key to running an efficient biogas plant with a high availability,’ says Charlie Bowyer of Birch Solutions.‘ Guy and the plant manager, Jamie Gutteridge, use Birch Solutions( formerly PlanET Biogas UK Ltd) for biological and technical service. As biological service manager, I organise fortnightly samples of digestate to be collected from the site via courier
‘ I find that motivating people isn’ t all about what you pay it’ s them having ownership of what they do and makes them proud. We employ highly skilled people right across the business and especially so on the farm where we have the latest technologies in tractors, combine harvesters and all equipment. It’ s all about bringing down our cost per acre.’
Guy sees the coming 12 months and years ahead dependent on the current parliamentary negotiations as a testing time for his business, British agriculture and the country at large.
‘ We’ re in a very difficult situation. I was an avid‘ remain’ for staying in Europe and I still
and taken to our lab partner, where they are analysed for all of the major process parameters, with a typical turnaround of 2-3 days. Trace element content and acid profiling are analysed for more either quarterly or if trends in gas production or other lab results start to look a little off-colour. The lab results are interpreted in context to the current feeding and performance of the plant and information is relayed back to Guy and Jamie with any pertinent advice. can’ t understand how we will be better off being out of the EU. Brexit has already put a brake on our business and if we’ re not careful it could be an even greater race to the bottom. Others could lose their momentum in trying to do things better purely because they don’ t know what is going to happen.’
‘ We’ ve always adapted to change and UK farming needs to be properly addressed. I think farm payments should be earned. Give me grants so that I can improve what we do, sweat my asset harder, drain the fields better, build good up to date stores and help with more efficient technology to assist in my education of bringing down unit cost of production. They are the things we’ re all
This proactive approach and a strong working dialogue has helped us work together to maintain a stable process and excellent biogas availability. In combination with our fast-reaction CHP and plant service and repair, this has led to the plant achieving an outstanding 97 % availability since commissioning in early 2015.”
Charlie Bowyer can be contacted on 07908 527540 or c. bowyer @ planet-biogas. com crying out for to enable us to produce at the cost required and yet still make a decent living. If that happens then maybe we can farm without any support in ten years’ time.’
‘ We all just want to be fitted up so we can compete. DEFRA need to get things on the table and hopefully at the same time not make it the traditional field day for consultants and advisers.’
And what about Guy? Having built up this large food processing and farming concern how does he see his future?
‘ We’ ve always adapted to change and UK
farming needs to be properly addressed’
‘ I had an ASDA director tell me about eight years ago that the one problem here was that this business all relies on me. Since then I’ ve made a concerted effort to delegate day-to-day responsibilities. I’ ve also taken out what is called a key man insurance policy that would allow the business to have the resources to bring someone in to run it in my absence, but I’ ve no intention of going anywhere.’
Guy is married to Clare and they have two sons – Mark( 18) who is a skilled horseman in show jumping and eventing; and Ben( 17) who is presently studying agri business.
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