A Cornwall-based agri-tech business is using drone technology to make agricultural jobs faster, safer and more efficient, thanks to funding support from the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme and the South West Investment Fund, delivered by SWIG Finance.
Horizon Agri Ltd, founded by Seamus McGuinness and based in Bodmin, is pioneering the use of drones to carry out labour-intensive tasks such as fertilising crops and cleaning solar panels, greenhouses and polytunnels.
The business, which operates nationwide, secured a £50,000 funding package made up of a £25,000 Start Up Loan and a further £25,000 loan from the South West Investment Fund.
Horizon Agri Ltd is pioneering the use of drones to carry out labour-intensive tasks such as fertilising crops and cleaning solar panels, greenhouses and polytunnels.
Seamus moved to Cornwall from Ireland in 2009 and brought with him a strong agricultural background. Over the years he has worked as a dairy herdsman, farm manager and consultant for a Canadian genetics consultancy.
Today, he is applying that experience to Horizon Agri Ltd, a business focused on harnessing drone technology to support farmers and landowners.
Seamus explained how agricultural use of drone technology is an emerging market in the UK. “While I don’t think it will entirely replace conventional methods, there are all kinds of benefits,” he said.
“You can cover a larger area, faster, and it’s much easier to fertilise tall crops with this technology. There is zero crop damage and no soil compaction from driving machinery around the field, and you can even do away with tramlines for vehicles to maximise planting.
“Following all the rain at the start of the year the land has been so wet it’s been impossible to drive around, but the crops still need fertiliser. A drone makes this possible.”
The drones can help farmers monitor crop health, map fields and deliver fertiliser precisely where it is needed, reducing waste and helping farmers control costs.
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Beyond crop fertilisation, the technology also has applications in other agricultural and energy settings. Seamus says drones can be used for solar farm panel cleaning, greenhouse and polytunnel cleaning, and precision shading for crop protection. He says using drones is cheaper and less likely to cause damage than more conventional methods.
“That means you can afford to clean panels more often, meaning they don’t get as dirty and will be more efficient as a result,” he said.
The funding from Start Up Loans and the South West Investment Fund enabled Seamus to invest in specialist equipment to launch the business. The combined £50,000 investment was used to purchase two agricultural drones, along with batteries, software, generators, water tanks, pumps and a trailer to transport the equipment.
Seamus discovered the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme online and was also signposted towards it through Cornwall’s Unlocking Potential business support scheme.
During the application process he worked with Jo MacEachan, senior Start Up Loans manager at SWIG Finance. “It was pretty intense but really good,” he said. “Jo was very thorough – no stone was left unturned.”
The drones can help farmers monitor crop health, map fields and deliver fertiliser precisely where it is needed, reducing waste and helping farmers control costs.
For additional funding through the South West Investment Fund, Seamus worked with SWIG Finance business manager Rachel Thomson. She said: “Seamus has great enthusiasm for his business and I think Horizon Agri Ltd has real potential to reduce costs for landowners through precision farming and other applications.”
David Tindall, Senior Investment Manager from the British Business Bank said: “Agri-tech is a growing sector with huge potential to improve productivity and sustainability across UK agriculture. Businesses like Horizon Agri Ltd show how technologies such as drones can help farmers work more efficiently while reducing costs and environmental impact.
“Through programmes like Start Up Loans and the South West Investment Fund, we’re supporting entrepreneurs like Seamus to bring new ideas to market and drive innovation across the South West.”
Start Up Loans is part of the British Business Bank and offers personal loans of up to £25,000 per director, along with free mentoring to help people start or grow a new or early-stage business. SWIG Finance is the British Business Bank’s Business Support Partner for the government-backed programme in the South West.
The purpose of the South West Investment Fund is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the South West. It offers a range of commercial finance options with smaller loans from £25k to £100k, debt finance from £100k to £2m and equity investment up to £5 million.
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SWIG Finance is a people-based lender that provides loans and support to help smaller businesses in the South and West Country grow. We base our lending decisions on potential rather than collateral, which means that we can often support businesses when others can't.
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