There’s gold in that there superphosphate – Clarendon Gold

For the first time in 70 years a New Zealand fertiliser will feature local phosphate rock.

Ravensdown is launching a new superphosphate blend using phosphate rock from the Clarendon deposit at Milton, south of Dunedin.

The Fertmark registered product – called Clarendon Gold – is available in Otago/Southland from 28 March 2011.

The Clarendon deposit was last mined in the 1940s during World War II and for the last 18 months Ravensdown has been investigating the quality and quantity of the phosphate rock including trialling its use in a manufactured superphosphate blend.

Clarendon Gold comprises 15% of phosphate rock from Clarendon. A trial was completed at the beginning of the year before going to mainstream production, says Ravensbourne Works Manager Tony Gray.

“The product has fitted well into the production run and is processing smoothly.

“It’s good for the Co-operative to take advantage of this domestic phosphate source that is local and cost effective.

“It also offers quality advantages to us by incorporating it into the blend. It gives us favourable results physically and chemically which has given us the confidence to scale it up into larger production runs,” Mr Gray says.

Ravensdown is constantly working to provide farmers with access to quality products at the lowest sustainable net cost and will continue to investigate when and how to extract and process more rock from the Clarendon site.

Local farmer Tony McDonnell who lives in Phosphate Rd at Clarendon brought the resource to Ravensdown’s attention in 2009 and the Co-operative has since worked closely with him and neighbours including Blackhead Quarries.

“I’m tickled that phosphate rock from my farm is being used by Ravensdown,” says Tony

“It’s great to have our own phosphate resource instead of having to import it.”

ENDS

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