About – Drip UK

We Are DRIPUK

DripUK Offer a full circular service to our customers. Starting from an initial phone conversation, potential customers provide us with field details Water supply position, Direction of planting & map references.

With this information we produce a site plan and an initial specific field quotation based on the growers own actual field site. The first time we meet with the grower we have something to work from and build upon. Growers may provide some equipment of their own which will reduce the overall cost. This approach gives growers a very accurate costing from the very first meeting with no hidden costing or unexpected call out charges over and above these early costings.

We modify this field plan and Quotation to accommodate any findings from our first meeting. At this point the growers have a full quotation for both Purchase & Hire of the new system. We can supply on either basis with several options to help the grower in their final decision-making process.

Our model usually sees us supplying Hire equipment in year one giving growers a first season to understand how systems work and how we can help and work together to get the best from the investment. Seeing the equipment work on their own soil types, their own varieties and with their own labour and existing infrastructure for pumping etc makes a big difference to future planning. Growers have the option to buy for year two or hire again. It is not unknown in some cases for us to jointly decide that Drip irrigation is not most suited for that business!

Decisions made, we supply and install all equipment, Commissioning and handing over to growers & managers for the season. In some crops we provide the management of the systems or attend weekly to assist with fertigation applications or maintenance. As the season comes to an end our team will clear the fields of equipment and remove the tape from cropped area ready to make way for harvesting machinery. Once removed from the ground we will remove the tape to a recycling facility. Providing the grower with a waste disposal receipt in order to comply with their various assurance schemes.

About me

DripUK founder Andrew Howseman has 35year’s experience managing & growing Irrigated crops across several counties.

Managing crops of irrigated Potatoes, Onions, Vegetables, Carrots, Herbs and various Organic crops, with a broad experience of varying soil types and the difference this makes to irrigation requirements, Andrews valuable knowledge is a great starting point for anyone looking to make a move into Drip Irrigation.

Having spent 18 years managing a number of large growing & Packing businesses in 2012 Andrew established the first of his Howseman Agriculture business’s quickly becoming a recognised leader in the supply and support of Drip Irrigation systems.

“Our depth of knowledge and hands on experience built up over the years ensures that we can tailor a Drip Irrigation solution in most crops and soil types”.

Drip Uk Timeline

1990-2012

Laying the foundations

17 years growing irrigated vegetables & Potatoes for a number of large growing and packing businesses across eastern counties. Experiences with Organic & conventional cropping.

2012

The beginning

Howseman Agriculture started trading as labour and advisory service business.

2013

Foliar feeds & Irrigation

Howseman Agrisupplies starts trading as sales and supply business. Foliar feeds & Irrigation.

2014-2016

The big one

Howseman Agrisupplies awarded contract for full end to end growing and management of 200 acres of potatoes for large packing company. To include 200acres DRIP IRRIGATION.

2017

Equipment acquired

First 200acres worth of equipment acquired for hire & contracting business. Total area of 350 acres contracted, commissioned and managed for 3 growers.

2018

Contractor of the year

850 acres of contracting, commissioning and managing undertaken in Lincolnshire on 6 potato farms. Andrew Howseman is BRITISH FARMING AWARDS. CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR.

2019

DripUK is born

Drip UK brand launched. Joint businesses supply, install, commission & manage 1300acres of Drip irrigation across 4 counties for 12 growers. On both Onion & Potato crops.

2020

Growing our offering

Install , commission, manage 1100acres across 4 counties on 16 farms. Fertigation services offered, Tape recycling and removal from farms starts.

2021

We're just getting started

Supply, Install, Commission, & manage 1700 acres across 4 counties for 20 growers. New crops Parsnips & Carrots also trialled.

2022 - 2023

Kent, Elgin & Coummunity Support

Total area 1800 acres. First work with Tree tape systems in Kent and Elgin for spruce & fir nursery production. 22 acres deciduous tree nursery. 120 acres whole head Lettuce. Flood relief on 4 local sites in octobers flooding.

2024

Another year of 1st's, 2100 acres cropping.

Our 1st underground installation. The most Northerly Olive grove in the world, 30 acres Drip & Fertigation system. Our 1st Sprinklers installedd into herb production.1st mister system installed for frost & Disease purposes.

2025

2400 acres Total, All About the Vegetables

Courgettes, Leeks, Tenderstem. 3 New crops covered in the Very dry season.

Our People

Our Success comes from the skilled and dedicated team that we have built up over the last 6 years. Roles differ but the importance of every memeber in the chain cannot be understated. A steadily growing full time team supplemented by highly skilled and deicated seasonal operators ensure our growers get the best equipment, installation and support in our industry. Recent additions of pump sales and tape recycling services have created a full circle business offering growers piece of mind and environmental compliance from tape purchase to tape disposal.