Wellhill Farm Partners with Flikweert Vision to Improve Seed Potato Sorting

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 sixteen different varieties of seed potatoes, destined for both the domestic market and export.

The Challenges of Scottish Agriculture

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 already have 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 specialized 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: focused 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. 

Owen Taylor:

"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. We can work faster, smarter, and more consistently, even under the tough conditions of Scottish."

A Trusted Partner in Progress

For Wellhill Farm, Flikweert Vision has proven to be a reliable partner in progress. With their innovative, hands-on solutions and technical expertise, we can continue to grow as a competitive, future-focused family business.