For a better understanding of how Crop Advisors works, please take a few moments to watch our video
Our History
Crop Advisors was formed by an alliance of independent agronomy businesses to offer group buying benefits to their clients. The individual agronomy businesses provide on farm advice to their respective clients under their own business name and structure.
The farmers become a member of Crop Advisors and have the advantage of receiving their advice through their chosen independent agronomist whilst being able to benefit from the increased purchasing power of the combined client membership.
You can read our latest press article in Crop Production Magazine HERE
Meet the Crop Advisors team
By working closely with our independent agronomists and focusing our group purchasing on agrochemicals, fertiliser and seed, we can source the best products for the job at the most competitive prices.
Crop Advisors is fully independent and takes no commission from transactions made between a member and any supplier. Our income is generated by the acreage fee we charge the farmer members and is not driven by a percentage spent on inputs. This ensures we are fully focused and working on behalf of the members to ensure their farming businesses are as profitable and efficient as possible.
Emma started her career at Berks Bucks & Oxon Farmers in 1989 working in the seed and agrochemical departments. After gaining BASIS in 1992 she moved to Hampshire Arable Systems as an independent agronomist in 1993. During this time she took on the role of Arable Business Manager running the buying for the newly formed Crop Advisors group. Emma & Howard bought the company from the previous owner in 2009.
Howard studied Agriculture and Rural Resource Management at Seale-Hayne Agricultural College working on farm and in the forestry industry before joining Crop Advisors in the Spring of 2000. He oversees the day to day purchasing particularly on Seed and Agrochemical buying. Howard is also BASIS & FACTS trained and field walks for Hampshire Arable Systems.
Geoff studied accountancy at Oxford Polytechnic in 1987, moving to a local accountancy practice and then into consumer and commercial finance until he joined Crop Advisors in 2009. He works alongside Emma on fertiliser purchasing, member account administration and computer systems.
Jenny joined Crop Advisors in 2019 in the role of accounts and administration. A fully qualified member of the AAT, Jenny handles the company’s bookkeeping and has gained accounting experience in a variety of industries. Alongside looking after her two children, Jenny has taught herself to play the ukulele.
Lucy joined Crop Advisors in 2021, in the role of Customer Service Administrator in charge of placing client orders for all commodities. Lucy liaises closely with merchants to ensure products are delivered promptly onto farm and provides support to all the agronomists with logistics queries. Outside of work, Lucy is a key member of Young Farmers and enjoys helping out on the family livestock farm.
Abbie joined Crop Advisors in autumn 2025, initially working with Howard and Emma in the Seed and Agrochemical department. She now works alongside Geoff, training in fertiliser while supporting the team with administration.
She holds a degree in Agriculture, specialising in Crop Management, and gained practical experience working on a sheep farm before university, where she still helps out in her spare time.
Outside of work, Abbie is Chairman of Romsey Young Farmers’ Club and enjoys all things outdoors, from shooting and point-to-point to countryside walks.
Izzy joined Crop Advisors in 2026 as a Trainee Commercial Technical Buyer, after completing a degree in Geography at Oxford Brookes University. She is working closely with Emma on crop protection planning and with Howard on seed purchasing, ensuring a full complement of available varieties are gathered, in order to offer a wide range of options for our members. Izzy comes from her family farm in West Sussex of mixed arable and beef enterprises and enjoys running and cycling in her spare time.
Likes:
Pheasants, partridges and snoozing under Howard’s desk.
Dislikes:
The postman.
Testimonials
Crop Advisors was formed by an alliance of independent agronomy businesses to offer group buying benefits to their clients.
"We have been customer members of Crop Advisors for longer than I care to remember. From countless transactions I cannot recall one single occasion where I could have had a better deal on the day. Their administration is faultless; customer first, full stop."
"We have been involved with Crop Advisors for over 20 years now and their customer service has always been to the highest of standards. The Crop Advisors team provide us with efficient ordering and product delivery, exceptional negotiating skills, and provide confidence in the supply chain. "
"We have been a group member for over twenty years and since day one, we have appreciated the attention to detail, the simple ordering process between agronomist and CA head office together with the integrity and effort of the buying team to negotiate with the supply chain. Through our contract spraying business, we have first hand experience of the savings made using the independent CA group model versus the commercial model and strongly recommend growers to go the independent agronomy route, the potential savings are huge."
"Since joining Crop Advisors in Spring 2021 we have achieved a substantial business saving after moving away from a commercial agronomy business. We have been able to build on these savings whilst also get better efficiencies from a wide availability of active ingredients. I should have made this move years ago."
"Crop Advisors are an important partner in my business. I used to shop around and do my own input buying. Now I’m saving a huge amount of time and money by using a trusted and sharply focused team to do that for me. Always prepared to help, they are a pleasure to deal with and I’m glad they are on my side."
"Crop Advisors have been an invaluable partner to Farleigh Wallop Estate. As our buying group for all direct farm inputs, they consistently provide expert advice, competitive pricing and a highly professional service. Their knowledge of the agricultural sector, attention to detail and proactive approach help ensure we make informed purchasing decisions and achieve excellent value across the business. We would not hesitate to recommend Crop Advisors to other farming businesses looking for a trusted and effective buying partner."
"Crop Advisors over the last 20+ years have provided us with outstanding advice and service. Not only has our business benefited from substantial savings on seed, fertiliser, and chemicals but they have also saved us a great deal of time by negotiating on our behalf and achieving the very best prices. Their team are extremely efficient, and I would highly recommend them to any arable or livestock farmer. "
"Over the past 15 years we have used Crop Advisors and their customer service has always been excellent. Their service has been invaluable in providing market insight, supply chain confidence, ordering efficiencies, and impartial advice on a wide range of products. Their service has become more even valuable with continued global supply chain uncertainties and continued market volatility."