Strengthening agronomy expertise across the UK

Agrii has continued to strengthen its agronomy team, with a number of new appointments over the past year. Each brings a different route into the industry, but with a shared focus on practical, technically grounded advice for farmers.

Henry Wilson and James Sugden joined as agronomists at the end of 2025, alongside three further appointments across the business.

James Sugden

James Sugden joined Agrii in autumn 2025, following a varied route into agronomy.

After five years serving as an officer in the British Army, he moved into farm management. He worked through the Velcourt trainee management scheme, followed by roles with Albanwise in Yorkshire and a family farming business.

His decision to join Agrii was shaped by its technical approach.

“What stood out to me was how much weight Agrii puts on the technical side of what it does,” he says. “There is real substance behind the advice, and the business has the scale to stand up to manufacturers where needed.”

On farm, his focus is on consistent, incremental improvement.

“You cannot simply reduce inputs and expect to maintain performance. It comes down to attention to detail and making steady gains across the system. That is what I am aiming to bring to the farms I work with.”

Henry Wilson

Henry Wilson joined Agrii in October 2025, following ten years as a technical agronomist with G’s, working across large-scale salad crop production.

During that time, he was closely involved in integrating regenerative approaches into a commercial system. This included establishing around 1,000 hectares of cover crops to maintain green cover on predominantly black fen soils.

He sees regenerative principles as adaptable rather than fixed.

“There is often a perception that regenerative farming only applies to certain systems,” he says. “In reality, it depends on context. What works on one farm will not look the same on another. It comes back to making sound decisions and paying attention to detail.”

At Agrii, Henry is combining his experience in vegetable agronomy with access to a wider technical network.

“There is a breadth of knowledge across the business that you can draw on when needed. That is valuable when you are working through more complex situations with growers.”

Ed Maule

Potato specialist Ed Maule joined Agrii at the start of 2025 from Deben Agronomy.

Prior to that, he spent 14 years with Branston Potatoes as a senior agronomist based near Lincoln, building extensive experience in commercial potato production.

A closer working relationship with Agrii through The Potato Partnership led to the move.

“The opportunity to develop my technical knowledge within a larger business was a key factor,” he says. “The role also allows me to stay closely involved with potato agronomy while working alongside wider research and advisory teams.”

He sees Agrii’s research capability as central to its position in the industry.

“Having work backed up by trials and field data is important. It allows advice to be grounded in what is actually happening on farm, rather than theory.”

Charlie Siggs

Charlie Siggs joined Agrii in May 2025 as an agronomist and business development manager in the South West.

His background includes roles in seed and ag-tech development, working with Syngenta and, more recently, satellite imaging company Constellr.

His experience of the industry shaped his decision to join.

“I had seen how Agrii operates from the outside, particularly the way it works with both suppliers and farmers,” he says. “It covers the full range of crop inputs and is supported by a strong R&D programme, which appealed to me.”

Charlie is currently completing the Agrii iQ programme, alongside supporting seed activity within the region.

“The role gives me the opportunity to work directly with farmers while also contributing to the wider team where my previous experience is relevant.”

Willie Reekie

Willie Reekie joined Agrii following ten years as a farm manager for a major seed potato producer in Scotland.

Having worked with Agrii as a supplier, he was already familiar with the business before making the move.

“The scale of the company, its research capability and the opportunities within the business were the main reasons I joined,” he says.

Based in Arbroath, he is working in a key area for potato and vegetable production.

“There is a strong customer base in this region, and opportunities to build on that. I have already been working with growers on farm-saved seed, and there is scope to develop that further over time.”

A consistent approach

While each agronomist brings different experience, the approach is consistent: practical advice, backed by research and shaped around individual farm systems.

That combination of field experience, technical understanding and access to wider R&D remains central to how Agrii supports growers across the UK.