Nickerson Direct which supplies seeds directly from the breeder to the farmer, has appointed Simon Montgomery as a Seed Specialist to strengthen its advisory team in the South West.

Simon, who lives at Bradworthy in Devon, will advise farmers throughout Devon and Cornwall on the Nickerson Direct range, which includes Original cereal seeds, Circle Ley grass mixtures, oilseeds, LG maize, pulses and Foundation potatoes, together with a number of complimentary products. Like all the Nickerson Direct team, he is trained in all aspects of agriculture and seed production.  

Commenting on his appointment, Simon said: “Farming profitably in any sector of the industry increasingly demands the very best inputs to achieve high outputs and farmers who consistently achieve good results recognise the value of investing in quality seeds. Being part of Nickerson, a leading seed breeder which is owned by Group Limagrain, the largest seed company in the European Union, Nickerson Direct is uniquely positioned to offer farmers the full benefit of the company’s huge resources and its investment in research and development.  

“By dealing with Nickerson Direct customers can be assured that they are purchasing products which will deliver the consistent, high performance that they expect. A key part of the service which we offer is agronomy advice, helping farmers to select the best varieties for particular situations and providing guidance to ensure that they maximise crop performance and financial returns.” 

Until 1994, Simon farmed in Zimbabwe, where he produced 2000 acres of grass, 2000 acres of maize and 300 acres of soybeans, together with pulses, paprika and groundnuts. However, the country’s increasingly turbulent political climate meant that it no longer provided the right environment in which to raise two children and the Montgomery family decided to move to the UK.  

Based in Devon, Simon joined R & T Liming, a pioneer of the ‘tip and spread’ system and of precision soil testing. In 1998 the opportunity arose to join an innovative Tanzanian farming company which specialised in cotton production, but after a three-year contract Simon returned to North Devon. In 2001, at the height of the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic, he joined Defra to manage teams involved in the clear-up operation on farms throughout the South West. Following a Masters of Business Administration at the Royal Agricultural College Simon returned to the soil nutrition business in 2003 as an adviser to two major national companies involved in the supply of granular and bulk lime products.