ALONG Scotland’s Moray Coast lies Wellhill Farm, a family-run business managed by the Taylor family since 1926. Today, the fourth generation is leading the operation – brothers Owen and Duncan, together with their mother Ilene Taylor. On the fertile yet challenging land of Wellhill, they grow 16 different varieties of seed potatoes, destined for both the domestic market and export.
Farming in Scotland comes with its own unique dynamics. The wet climate and heavy clay soil, full of stones and clumps, present significant challenges, especially when it comes to sorting seed potatoes. This process demands time, precision, and a great deal of labour.
Moving Towards Innovation
Although steps have already been made towards automation in the past, certain challenges remained. Labour shortages and inefficient double sorting of difficult batches continued to be a bottleneck. The Taylors realised that further innovation was essential to future-proof their farm. During their search for a solution, they came into contact with Flikweert Vision, a Dutch company specialising in the sorting of potatoes and onions – a concept that immediately appealed to the Taylors.
A Convincing Visit to the Netherlands
After visiting the Netherlands and seeing the sorting machines in operation, Owen was convinced. The machines matched his needs perfectly: A focus on quality, efficiency, and ease of use. Wellhill Farm invested in two machines, the Divider and the QualityGrader. The Divider handles the initial rough sorting, removing clumps, stones, and foreign objects early in the process. The QualityGrader takes care of the second stage, detecting external defects such as scab, damage, or misshapen potatoes.
Efficiency and Quality Hand in Hand
The benefits quickly became clear. The capacity for pre-sorting tripled, and the results of the quality grading significantly improved. At the same time, the need for manual labour dropped sharply. In a market where finding skilled workers is increasingly difficult, that’s a major advantage. On top of that, product quality remains high and the sorting process is much easier to manage.
Ready for the Future
For Owen and his team, the message is clear: Anyone who wants to remain competitive in the future of seed potato farming must be willing to invest in technology. “The number of seed potato growers is shrinking, and the demand for quality is only increasing. These sorting machines allow us to stay in the game,” he says. “We can work faster, smarter, and more consistently, even under the tough conditions of Scottish clay.
“A trusted partner in progress For Wellhill Farm, Flikweert Vision has proven to be a reliable partner. With their innovative, hands-on solutions and technical expertise, we can continue to grow as a competitive, future-focused family business.”
Watch the video of the machines in action during the farm’s activities.
