New Ag Tech Partnership Aims to Help Growers Tackle Waste and Labor Issues
March 1, 2023 
In a move designed to address agriculture’s mounting labor problems, while also providing a more environmentally sustainable solution, commercial horticultural supplier Hort Americas has announced it is now the exclusive distributor of Agrifast’s Tomsystem in the U.S. and Canada.
Between limited availability and the rising costs of employing qualified ag labor, farms and greenhouses continue to face significant workforce challenges. At the same time, increasing numbers of business owners and investors are turning to greenhouse technology to explore more eco-friendly methods for growing fresh produce.
Hort Americas and Agrifast see the Tomsystem as a simple but elegant piece of technology that addresses two major issues vine crop greenhouse growers are facing today.
“I am always looking for simplicity,” says Chris Higgins, Hort Americas President and co-founder. “To me, simplicity almost always represents the best solution. With the Tomsystem, we have a product that has been used and perfected by growers around the world. By simply converting to a galvanized steel clip, we have addressed a major issue on how we deal with and manage crop waste at the end of the season.”
The Tomsystem replaces traditional crop-supporting methods. Besides the sustainability benefits, the process also lowers the labor cost per acre, providing the grower a significant net economic gain.
“We are very enthusiastic to start this new project in North America with Hort Americas,” says Alberto Lizarraga, Tomsystem Product Manager. “We think it is the perfect partner for this product. Together, we can contribute to increasing the efficiency of many companies involved in the greenhouse sector.”
Clipping speed with the Tomsystem averages around 2,000 plants per hour, two times faster than with conventional methods. Additionally, the clipping tool closes in five positions, allowing for adjustments based on crop thickness and weight.
“As a rule of thumb, the Tomsystem can reduce staff for clipping greenhouse crops on a basis of one person per hectare for crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, and eggplants,” Lizarraga says.
The Tomsystem is currently used in 40 countries and has thousands of tools in the market.
Hort Americas works closely with key manufacturers to develop and bring the highest quality, technically advanced, and most cost-effective products to the greenhouse growers and vertical farmers in North America. Agrifast specializes in design, production, and commercialization of fastening systems for viticulture and the horticultural industry. The company develops products such as the Tomsystem to reduce labor costs without penalizing tying quality.
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