Horsch – or Horsch Maschinen GmbH to use its full trading name – achieved a record turnover of €402 million last year (2018).

It was the highest in the company’s history. It was 12% higher than the figure for 2017.

This, claims the company, was the third time in a row that it has recorded double-digit growth. It attributes this to “heavy investment” at its manufacturing sites and in R&D (research and development).

Growth has reportedly been seen in all sectors – cultivation, seeding, spraying and logistics. Part of its success, says the manufacturer, is its “ability to configure machines specifically for the needs of individual markets”.

Image source: Shane Casey

In 2018, sales of Horsch equipment “developed particularly well” in Britain, France and Scandinavia. Germany and Eastern Europe, especially Ukraine, remain “key markets”.

Meanwhile, sales are “increasing” in the US, Brazil and China.

‘Hybrid’ farming

A spokesperson commented: “At Agritechnica 2019 [in Germany] later this year, we will present further innovations in our current product segments, as well as technologies for hybrid farming that combine the best of organic and conventional farming.

As pressure from society forces the farming sector to change, hybrid farming will be seen as an important future development.

In related news, the company embarked on a major €23 million investment last year – to be spent by 2020 in three stages.

The investment programme was described as “a renewed commitment” to Schwandorf (Germany) – the location of the company’s headquarters (pictured below).