Hort Americas, a leading horticulture supplier in North America, has recently announced its partnership with Agrifast to distribute the Tomsystem in the United States and Canada exclusively. This move is seen as a significant step in addressing the challenges that vine crop greenhouse growers face today. With the limited availability of qualified agricultural labor and the need for more sustainable solutions, the Tomsystem is expected to solve both issues.
One of the key advantages of the Tomsystem is that it replaces traditional crop-supporting methods, which are often labor-intensive and costly. Instead, the system uses a galvanized steel clip to manage crop waste at the end of the season, making it more efficient and cost-effective for growers. This is a significant benefit for growers struggling to find affordable and qualified labor to support their operations.
“I am always looking for simplicity,” said Chris Higgins, Hort Americas president and co-founder. “To me, simplicity almost always represents the best solution. With the Tomsystem, we have a product used and perfected by growers worldwide. By simply converting to a galvanized steel clip, we have addressed a major issue: how we deal with and manage crop waste at the end of the season.”
In addition to lowering labor costs, the Tomsystem is more environmentally friendly. With the growing concern for sustainable agriculture practices, the Tomsystem provides a solution that reduces the environmental impact of traditional greenhouse operations. This is achieved by using a reused and recycled clip, reducing waste, and minimizing the carbon footprint of the growing process.
“We are very enthusiastic to start this new project in North America with Hort Americas,” said 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.”
The Tomsystem has already gained popularity in over 40 countries and has thousands of tools in the market. Its ability to clip around 2,000 plants per hour is twice as fast as conventional methods, translating to significant time and cost savings for growers. Furthermore, the system allows for adjustments based on crop thickness and weight, making it highly adaptable to different crops.
Image provided by Hort Americas
