As a small independent company, Hazlett takes great pride in its agronomy offering for farmers, and Agronomy Specialist – Central Canterbury Scott McIlroy says the difference is in the motivation of the team: “Every day we wake up and go to work we want to do the best for our clients. We may work for Hazlett but our clients come first. If our clients are happy then Hazlett does well too. We are totally focused on helping farmers to grow the best crops they can economically.”
Hazlett was started in 2008 by David and Vicki Hazlett who remain the majority shareholders of the business with the remainder owned by staff. It has grown into a comprehensive offering spanning livestock broking, funding, insurance and agronomy. Scott says being deeply rooted in the rural sector Hazlett Agronomy helps farmers unlock the full potential of their land with down-to-earth advice.
“When it comes to soil management and crop production no two paddocks are the same. We’re here to ensure every dollar spent is invested wisely from choosing the right seeds to planting them in the right paddock and applying the right agrichemical. It’s a highly personalised approach.”
This involves sitting down with the farmer and understanding the individual goals. This then forms the basis of a plan of how to get there along with an examination of every paddock and crop on the farm. A key part of achieving this is using Agworld independent farm information management ecosystem, which includes farm planning, budgeting, tracking and managing product inputs, job management, compliance, agronomy, logistics and grower services.
“We pride ourselves on continuous support throughout each client’s farming journey. Our commitment goes beyond advice-giving – we stand by them at every stage, ensuring their investment reaches its full potential from initial planning to the final harvest and review so we can help our clients improve and do better each season,” explains Scott.
“Our service offering is pretty special in that we are highly motivated people who want to see results for our clients.”
As independent specialists, Hazlett Agronomy deals with a wide range of suppliers and products. Scott says this means the advice given is truly the best for each farmer with no hidden agendas or motives. “We offer a range of seed varieties to ensure crops thrive in the client’s specific agricultural conditions. We then manage pests and diseases by applying the right product at the right time. We recommend a selection of agrichemicals based on the soil quality, pest and disease prevalence and weather conditions on the farm.”
He says that the talented Hazlett team makes a real difference, and there is a wealth of knowledge and expertise at farmers’ fingertips. As each team member lives in the communities in which they work, they have a sound understanding of the challenges local farmers face. Scott is a case in point. He’s lived in the Darfield area for 35 years, started to work for Hazlett in 2015 and has become a shareholder.
“By living in the communities we work in, we are really entrenched in the local area and become a key part of our clients’ operations. Our service offering is pretty special in that we are highly motivated people who want to see results for our clients. We are passionate about what we do out there every single day.”
This has seen Hazlett Agronomy go from strength to strength and win the trust of a lot of prominent farming operations with teams taking care of clients from Middlemarch to Gisborne. “We have a very well-rounded and highly skilled team. We give all our staff the ability to do the best they can for our clients every single day, and we’re not afraid to try new things that might benefit them.”
“This has meant Hazlett has grown exponentially. We focus on the basics our clients want: a timely cost-competitive service that delivers real results to their business.”
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