A future defined by nutrient management

14 June 2011

A future defined by nutrient management

By Larry Bilodeau
Ballance Agri-Nutrients Chief Executive

New Zealand farmers have been placed in a number of boxes over the last few months by commentators, politicians and even farmers themselves.

Tax responsibility, the Emissions Trading Scheme, water quality and environmental standards are just some of the points that have all been in the headlines in daily newspapers and on television repeatedly this year.

At a time when the rural sector is making a major contribution to our economic recovery, there’s a good case to argue that rather than lining up farmers in their sights, New Zealanders should be encouraging them to keep growing. We should be out there looking at how we can make agriculture more efficient and sustainable across the board – both environmentally and economically.

For Ballance, this is a priority. This month marks the 10th birthday of the Ballance brand and we’ve used the occasion to both celebrate our past and look at where we fit into farming’s future. We’re drawing on our traditional involvement in the sector which goes as far back as 1947 through the earlier co-operatives which amalgamated to create us back in 2001.

When Ballance was launched it stood for “Growing Know How”. It still does, and today that “know how” is very much aligned to the demands of a world hungry for food, but equally hungry for reassurance it will be produced safely and without damaging the environment. That is where Ballance fits in. Increasingly our role is ensuring farmers have customised products and specialist advice across their entire farm nutrient needs.

To do this, we’re spending millions of dollars on research and technology, and investing heavily in our employees so we can spend more time with farmers to maximise their ability to make a profit with carefully tailored plans to minimise waste and reduce risk.

Our business has evolved to providing an advice-based service augmented by fertiliser sales.

All of this is happening in an environment of close scrutiny from the public, regional councils, industry bodies and the government – all of which means we are working hard for New Zealand farmers from the ground up.

Now we are looking ahead to the next 10 years during which we expect continuing changing land use, more growth in dairy and intensification of sheep and beef farmers on hill country.

Animal nutrition represents the biggest single opportunity to boost productivity and therefore profit for pastoral farming in New Zealand.

At the same time, environmental challenges will also be at top of mind for the industry, which is why we’ll continue to invest in research which will provide very real solutions to the issues farmers are faced with – much of this is already underway.

Through all of this, farmers will be looking to produce more as regulatory costs rise alongside the cost of farm inputs and we’ll have to be even cleaner and greener.

The pressure is coming on from all quarters. Consumers are thinking more about the origins of their food and major supermarket chains are responding to that demand and using sustainability to differentiate themselves in the market.

As the final customers of our agricultural and horticultural products become even more discerning, we must be at the cutting edge of fresh thinking, superior farming systems and innovative technology. We will be working hand in hand with farmers to ensure what they produce, be it meat, grain, milk or vegetables, is both profitable and sustainable, measuring up to consumer and community expectations.

Agriculture continues to be New Zealand’s economic backbone. As we look forward across our next decade here at Ballance Agri-Nutrients, we see ample opportunities to ensure this backbone remains strong and sustainable, both environmentally and economically.
ENDS

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