Mr McClarron is one of the most recent specialists to join Thomas Elder Consulting (TEC), whose members work alongside farmers and agribusiness clients to drive long-term, sustainable farm profitability.

He has a wealth of experience in horticultural operations, large and small, in the United Kingdom, Europe, Israel and Australia, across a variety of crops, climates and environments.

Mr McClarron specialises in working with businesses to identify efficiencies in farming, supply and quality procedures as well as formulating agronomic strategies and plans for horticultural operators.

He uses a data driven approach to help identify gaps in yield and performance, likening himself to a “horticultural accountant”.

“We start by gathering the facts and figures of what’s going on, paddock by paddock, to identify issues behind low quality or poor yields and working out what needs to be done,” he said.

“New technology like remote sensing has a valuable role to play in identifying problems and providing insights into yield variability as the first step to formulating plans to fix these, and further down the line, by providing data to track performance.

“The data is there in the yield and profitability figures, showing the net returns from inputs and allowing us to examine whether there are gains to be made from different crops or varieties or more targeted nutrients, soil ameliorants, or variable rate application – or a combination of these.”