increase font size
COMPANIES AND products certified to Fertmark standards are at an all-time high, but a standard for product spread quality remains elusive, says Fertiliser Quality Council chairman, Neil Barton.
“We continue to try to find a way to get the industry to put on an SGN rating,” he told Rural News.
Barton believes the lack of such a standard stems from a cost of product focus among pastoral farmers, most of whom use contractors to apply nutrients and are either unaware or undervalue the importance of even spread.
“All they’re concerned about is the cost of product applied.”
If more spreaders charged a premium to apply poor or hard to spread material, it would encourage more attention to be paid to product spreadability, and help persuade the major manufacturers that a standard is needed, he adds.
As for Fertmark, which sets nutrient content standards, 14 companies and 51 products are now certified.
“To farm in an environmentally friendly, sustainable way, farmers have to know exactly what they are putting on their land. With Fertmark products they can do just that.
“There is some angst around the use of fertilisers in general but research has shown that our production will drop by up to two thirds if we don’t use fertiliser. That would be catastrophic for the country.
“The issue is to decide what fertiliser to use and farmers should insist on a product with the Fertmark tick before they put anything on their land.”
DairyNZ has pulled together tactics that will help farmers improve on-farm efficiency and have positive benefits for the environment. These tactics are based on research, data, and lessons from leading farmers.
New Zealand farmers will face higher urea prices this year, mainly on the back of tight global supply and a weak Kiwi dollar.
Ballance Agri-Nutrients is expanding its fixed price offer to help customers manage input costs with greater certainty over the coming season.
Research findings published in Europe support the concept of foliar fertilisation or foliar feeding in improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) while maintaining pasture productivity.
Ballance Agri-Nutrients has launched SimplyFert, an ex-hub and therefore lower-cost offering said to give its shareholders choice and flexibility for purchasing nutrients.
Academic Dr Mike Joy and his employer, Victoria University of Wellington have apologised for his comments suggesting that dairy industry CEOs should be hanged for contributing towards nitrate poisoning of waterways.
Environment Southland's catchment improvement funding is once again available for innovative landowners in need of a boost to get their project going.
The team meeting at the Culverden Hotel was relaxed and open, despite being in the middle of calving when stress levels are at peak levels, especially in bitterly cold and wet conditions like today.
A comment by outspoken academic Dr Mike Joy suggesting that dairy industry leaders should be hanged for nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater has enraged farmers.
OPINION: The phasing out of copper network from communications is understandable.
Driven by a lifelong passion for animals, Amy Toughey's journey from juggling three jobs with full-time study to working on cutting-edge dairy research trials shows what happens when hard work meets opportunity - and she's only just getting started.
