What Produce Solutions does

Produce Solutions is a UK-based specialist agronomy and agricultural research company serving the potato sector and broader fresh produce supply chain. Operating as a subsidiary within the Produce Investments group and closely integrated with Greenvale, the firm employs 10 people, of whom nine are BASIS and FACTS qualified agronomists delivering bespoke advisory, technical, and R&D services to UK potato growers and fresh produce businesses. Its service portfolio spans full-lifecycle agronomy (soil sampling, seed selection, crop protection, irrigation, yield and quality assessment, store management), technical compliance (HACCP plans, audit preparation, pesticide and residue management), and ORETO-certified efficacy trials for agrochemical and variety development work.

The company's proprietary technology stack centres on the DeCyst™ trap crop system, which uses commercial crops that mimic potato root exudates to stimulate Potato Cyst Nematode egg hatching while preventing multiplication, with reported PCN population reductions of up to 80% and a documented 79% reduction in PCN eggs at a customer site in year one. The team also develops and maintains Crop4Sight, an internal crop modelling platform for agronomic decision support, and conducts ORETO-compliant trials under EPPO guidelines using digital field data collection and optical grading technology for yield and quality measurement. The firm holds ORETO certification (cert no. 468) issued by the UK Health and Safety Executive, positioning it as an approved third-party efficacy testing facility.

Produce Solutions generates revenue primarily through professional services engagements priced on a bespoke, quote-based model with multi-year contract cadence, supplemented by DeCyst™ product sales. GTM is delivered via direct field-based agronomy, industry events and open days, collaborations with bodies such as CUPGRA, GB Potatoes, and the Agri-Tech Innovation Centre, and a free 30-minute initial consultation offer. R&D activity is partly subsidised by grant funding from Innovate UK and Innovative Farmers. The business is UK-only, with field coverage spanning East Anglia, the West Midlands, Shropshire, Oxfordshire, Norfolk, and Cornwall, and no disclosed equity funding, acquisitions, or external investors.

Name

Produce Solutions

Legal name

Produce Solutions Ltd

Website

https://producesolutions.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Produce Solutions is a UK specialist agronomy and ORETO-certified research firm serving potato growers and fresh produce businesses with bespoke advisory, technical compliance, and trials services, plus the proprietary DeCyst™ PCN trap crop, operating as the agronomy arm of the Produce Investments group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Services / Potato Agronomy

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Nutrient Management Planning & Fertility Programs (AFACABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Curing & Drying Storage for Bulb/Tuber Crops (Onions, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes) (AFAOAEAG)

Keywords

• Potato agronomy services
• Crop trials research
• Fresh produce consultancy
• PCN management solutions
• Agronomy technical services

Headquarters

HQ city

March

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Agronomy Services: Professional agronomy consulting services for UK potato growers. BASIS and FACTS qualified agronomists provide crop production optimization from variety selection to harvest.
2. Technical Support Services: Technical management services including HACCP plans, audit preparation, pesticide management, and residue testing for fresh produce businesses.
3. R&D and Trials Services: Contract research and development services for the potato sector. ORETO-certified specialists conducting agrochemical trials, variety development, and PCN solutions. Works with commercial partners and academic institutions.
4. DeCyst™ Product Sales: Sale of DeCyst™ trap crop products for PCN management. Includes both product sales and associated agronomy support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Produce Solutions provides specialist agronomic advisory, technical compliance, and contract research services for UK potato growers and fresh produce businesses, delivered by BASIS and FACTS-qualified agronomists from variety selection through to storage management. The company also sells its proprietary DeCyst™ trap crop seed products for Potato Cyst Nematode control, which can reduce PCN populations by up to 80%, and conducts ORETO-certified agrochemical, variety, and trap crop trials.

Product overview

Produce Solutions is an agricultural services company offering integrated agronomy, technical, and R&D solutions for UK potato growers and fresh produce businesses. Their core offerings include: Agronomy Services (soil analysis, seed selection, nutrient planning, crop protection, irrigation management, yield assessment, and store management); Technical Services (HACCP planning, audit preparation, pesticide management, and residue testing); and R&D Services (ORETO-certified trials, protocol development, and knowledge exchange). Their proprietary product is DeCyst™, a commercially proven PCN trap crop that can reduce potato cyst nematode populations by up to 80%.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DeCyst: A commercially proven trap crop product line for the control of Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN), including DeCyst Prickly and DeCyst Broadleaf varieties. A well-established crop of DeCyst can reduce PCN populations by up to 80%.
• Crop4Sight

Products and services

• DeCyst™ Trap Crop Products Commercially proven trap crop seed products — DeCyst™ Prickly and DeCyst™ Broadleaf — used by potato growers to control Potato Cyst Nematode (Globodera pallida and Globodera rostochiensis). The crops produce root exudates similar to potato crops, stimulating PCN egg hatching, with innate resistance preventing multiplication. A well-established crop can reduce PCN populations by up to 80%.
• Agronomy Services Comprehensive agronomic support for UK potato growers covering soil sampling and analysis, strategic planning, seed selection, nutrient management planning, crop protection advice, irrigation management, yield and quality assessments, and store management, delivered by BASIS and FACTS-qualified agronomists.
• Technical Services Food safety and compliance solutions for fresh produce businesses including HACCP plan creation and implementation, audit preparation and internal auditing, pesticide management, and residue testing.
• Research & Development Services ORETO-certified (cert no. 468) contract research and trials services for the potato sector including development of research protocols compliant with EPPO guidelines, site selection and trial establishment, agrochemical applications and digital data collection, plot harvesting and grading, optical yield measurement, data analysis and reporting, grant application support, and knowledge exchange.

Quantifiable outcome

• DeCyst™ trap crop reduces PCN populations by up to 80%
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CUPGRA (Cambridge University Potato Growers Research Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJames Lee serves as a director of CUPGRA. Dr Bill Watts is a member of CUPGRA's Research and Development Committee. Produce Solutions collaborates with CUPGRA on research projects, grant applications, and knowledge exchange. CUPGRA provides access to academic research and industry networking.
• GreenvalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduce Solutions operates within Greenvale's vertically integrated supply chain. Multiple team members have backgrounds with Greenvale. The partnership enables comprehensive support from seed sourcing through storage, leveraging Greenvale's market intelligence and customer relationships.
• Agri-Tech Innovation Centre (formerly CHAP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on knowledge exchange and transfer. Produce Solutions utilises this partnership to share research findings and expedite knowledge exchange to industry stakeholders.
• GB PotatoesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on knowledge exchange and industry initiatives. Testimonial customer reference from GB Potato Grower demonstrates industry network connections.
• Harper Adams UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner with connections through team members' education and research backgrounds. Dr Bill Watts researched crop sciences at Harper Adams for 10 years. Multiple team members are Harper Adams graduates.
• Newcastle UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner through James Lee's Honours Degree in Crop Protection from Newcastle University.
• Leeds UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner through Fiona Law-Eadie's Agricultural Zoology Degree from Leeds University.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RSK ADAS: UK agricultural and environmental consultancy providing agronomy, crop trials, regulatory, and food safety services. Strongly comparable to Produce Solutions' technical services, R&D trials, and agronomy consultancy, with broader public-sector presence.
• SRUC: Scotland's Rural College, providing agricultural research, consultancy, and skills training. Comparable to Produce Solutions' applied R&D and agronomy training activities, with a regional UK focus.
• Agrii: One of the UK's largest agronomy businesses, offering agronomy advice, variety trials, and crop protection R&D. Directly comparable to Produce Solutions' agronomy and trial services, with broader scale and product portfolio.
• Hutchinsons: UK-based agronomy services company providing crop advice, inputs, and precision farming tools to arable growers including potato producers. Direct competitor to Produce Solutions' agronomy advisory business, with similar BASIS/FACTS-qualified agronomist model.
• Agrovista: UK crop solutions provider combining agronomy, seed, and crop protection products. Comparable to Produce Solutions on agronomy services and on-farm trials, with a wider commercial product range.
• NIAB: UK crop science and applied research organisation running variety trials, agronomy research, and PCN-related work. Closely comparable to Produce Solutions' ORETO-certified trials and variety development offering, with deeper academic integration.

Broad incumbents

• Branston Holdings: Vertically integrated UK potato supplier working with growers on variety selection, agronomy, and supply chain. Comparable in being a vertically integrated potato business that influences agronomy practices, though at much larger scale.
• Frontier Agriculture: Large UK crop production and grain marketing business with a national agronomy team. Overlaps with Produce Solutions on agronomy advice and trials but at significantly larger scale and with a broader input distribution footprint.
• McCain Foods (GB): Major UK potato processor with significant in-house agronomy and grower support programmes. Relevant as a large customer-adjacent player shaping agronomy standards for potato growers, similar to Greenvale's role for Produce Solutions.

Others

• GB Potatoes: UK potato industry body representing growers and the supply chain. Comparable to Produce Solutions as a collaborator/stakeholder in knowledge exchange and industry representation, rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ProduceSolutions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/produce-solutions

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Produce Solutions