Where Are Seed Drills Manufactured? A Comprehensive Guide

In the realm of agricultural machinery, particularly seed drills, international manufacturers dominate the market with their extensive range of options available to farmers.

Major global brands like Amazone, Horsch, Kverneland, Lemken, Pottinger, and Vaderstad operate multiple manufacturing facilities, producing seed drills in substantial quantities for the British market.

However, there’s also a niche of smaller manufacturers from Europe, the UK, and as far away as New Zealand, eager to cater to British farmers. These companies often focus on innovative, home-grown solutions specifically designed to tackle the challenges of direct drilling into cereal stubbles and cover crops.

For more details, check our feature on Tractors: Where are they made?

Explore the manufacturing locations displayed on the map below.

Manufacturers Overview

Aguirre

Aguirre, a Spanish manufacturer, produces tractor-mounted tine direct drills at its facility in Tafalla, located approximately 25 miles south of Pamplona, Spain, and partners with Weaving Machinery for distribution.

Aitchison

The Grassfarmer and Seedmatic box drills, primarily for pasture sowing, are now produced in two Farmgear factories in Feilding on New Zealand’s North Island, following their acquisition from the defunct Reese Engineering firm.

Alpego

Specialized in pneumatic combi drills built on power harrows, Alpego operates its manufacturing plant in Lonigo, situated about an hour from Venice in northern Italy, where they also create subsoilers and other tillage tools.

Amazone

Amazone’s comprehensive lineup of seeders and planters is produced at three facilities in north-west Germany. The Primera tine direct drills are assembled alongside sprayers at the Bramsche plant, while other components are made in Hude/Oldenburg for assembly in Hude/Altmoorhausen, which boasts 18 assembly lines for seed drills.

Amazone’s Hude/Altmoorhausen assembly plant © Amazone

Bednar

Bednar has significantly augmented its manufacturing capabilities for tillage machinery and seed drills at its facility in Rychnov nad Kněžnou, Czechia, where expansions were completed in 2020.

Bednar Effecta drills assembly nearing completion © Bednar

Bramleys Seed Establishment

A newcomer to the manufacturing scene, Bramleys sources components for its Zone toolbar seeders, which are assembled at workshops on Station Farm located near York.

Brock

The Campaign model, featuring tine coulters, is manufactured by J Brock & Sons at their facilities in Thaxted, Essex, where they also import Farmet equipment.

Claydon

The first Claydon drill was conceived in 2003, driven by challenges related to Suffolk clay. With growing sales of the V Drill and its subsequent models, facility expansions have doubled their production capacity in 2023.

Cross Slot

The Cross Slot direct drill is assembled by Primewest in Warwickshire. The frames are locally fabricated, and current collaboration with Novag may alter future assembly arrangements.

Dale

Dale’s Eco-Drill and MTD direct seeders are assembled on-site at Pepperdale Farm in Lincolnshire, utilizing components sourced primarily from local suppliers.

Duncan

Since being acquired by Giltrap Ag in 2018, Duncan’s range of seed drills has been built in Washdyke on New Zealand’s South Island and includes various agricultural machinery.

Erth Engineering

Based in Northern Ireland, Erth Engineering specializes in the Agriseeder direct drill and the Panbuster subsoiler, assembling these at their site in Seaforde.

Farmet

The Falcon series of pneumatic drills is produced by Farmet in Czechia and distributed by J Brock & Sons, offering a variety of soil-working options.

Fentech

In 2022, Fentech Agri acquired the Simtech T-Sem drill range and expanded its portfolio to include tillage equipment, symbolizing its growth trajectory within the market.

Grange

Grange Machinery expanded its offerings this year with the introduction of the Tine-Drill Toolbar, aimed at integrating seeding solutions into its cultivation equipment line.

Horizon

Horizon Agriculture, located in Lincolnshire, designs its no-till drills and implements based on evolving crop establishment methods, utilizing a mix of local and international components.

Horsch

Horsch has invested heavily in its two manufacturing facilities in Germany to enhance production capabilities for various models of seed drills and planters, introducing new installations and expansions in recent years.

Maestro planter assembly line at Horsch Schwandorf © Horsch

John Deere

For John Deere’s 750A and 740A drills tailored for the European market, frames and hoppers are assembled at the Kverneland Group’s facility in Soest, Germany, while some components are sourced from the US.

Kockerling

Kockerling’s seed drill production splits between their headquarters in Verl, Germany, and a nearby facility in Delbruck, where final assembly occurs.

Kuhn

Kuhn’s extensive range of seed drills is manufactured across three sites, including their headquarters in Saverne, France, and other facilities focused on specific products such as large drills and precision planters.

Kuhn drills awaiting dispatch from MGM Monswiller © Kuhn

Kverneland

The Kverneland Group produces all its seed drills from the historically significant Accord factory in Soest, Germany, focusing on both seed drills and various cultivators.

Kverneland’s Soest line for Optima precision planters © Kverneland

Lemken

Lemken’s seed drills such as the Solitair, Azurit, and Saphir are manufactured at their dedicated seeding competence center in Haren, Germany, which was revamped to accommodate new manufacturing capabilities.

Lemken Saphir box drills being assembled in Haren © Lemken

Lyckegard

Swedish firm Lyckegard manufactures the versatile Cameleon implement, which serves as a harrow, seed drill, and inter-row hoe, catering primarily to organic farms at its Fornasa facility.

Maschio Gaspardo

After acquiring Gaspardo in 1993, Maschio now manufactures a range of seed drills at their extensive Morsano al Tagliamento facility in northeast Italy, alongside other tillage products.

Moore Unidrill

Moore Unidrill Manufacturing in Lincolnshire assembles the popular Moore Unidrill, building on its previous production that was relocated from Northern Ireland to Yorkshire in 2009.

Mzuri

The Mzuri Pro-Til drill was developed in response to the challenges of cultivating heavy land. The manufacturing facility in Pershore, Wiltshire, continues to support assembly efforts while also managing trials and demonstrations.

Novag

Novag has developed its no-till drill in Fressines, France, since its establishment in 2018, having transitioned from earlier models to its proprietary design.

Pottinger

Since acquiring Rabe seed drills in 2001, Pottinger has expanded its offerings to include precision planters, which are produced at their factory in Bernburg, Germany.

Pottinger’s drill production plant at Bernburg © Pottinger

Sky Agriculture

Sky Agriculture’s drill offerings have grown, integrating Sulky-branded machines with new minimum tillage products, all assembled near Chateaubourg, France.

Large trailed Sky drill assembly at Chateaubourg © Sky Agriculture Drills

Sumo

Sumo manufactures seeding equipment at their Yorkshire base, creating a range of tools including strip tillage seeders and disc coulter drills.

Sola

Spanish manufacturer Sola, operating under KRM Sola in Britain, produces various seeders at its dedicated plant in Calaf, northwest of Barcelona.

Triton

Triton Seed Drills, located near Cambridge, collaborates with Cousins of Emneth in Wisbech to manufacture ultra-low disturbance side-press tine seeders.

Vaderstad

Vaderstad leads the assembly of its drills and precision planters in Sweden, ensuring tight integration of component manufacturing across multiple facilities, thereby expanding capacity and efficiency year over year.

In 2023, substantial investments supported enhancements to the production lines, ensuring high-quality output in infrastructure and component supply.

Virkar

Virkar Group, founded in 2012 by a team comprising a farmer, engineer, and technician, produces its Dynamic direct drill in Spain in both disc and tine variations.

Weaving

From its inception as the GB importer of Krause direct drills, Weaving has developed a diverse range of low-disturbance drills and cultivators, with significant manufacturing and assembly capabilities at their base near Evesham, Worcestershire.

Recent investments have modernized their facilities, introducing automated processes and advanced paint applications to enhance production quality.