Viewpoint

Read our monthly review of farming and agricultural issues facing New Zealand industry and farmers. Your comments and opinions are welcome!

Since Britain stopped looking to us for food and we had to begin marketing our produce to the world we have become pretty good at it. The ‘Clean Green’ image may have been the work of a clever ad agency but it was such a perfect fit that we adopted it as our own quite naturally as if it was our birthright.

November 2014

Back in 2003 a Clean Streams Accord was instituted with Fonterra, Regional Councils, the Ministry for the Environment and Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries as the partners in the scheme. This initiative was met with much anger and criticism from almost all sectors, however it survived right through to its proposed end date of 2012.

October 2014

I have the privilege to meet with many interesting people both in the farming sector and other related professions, and all of them are keenly interested in how New Zealand creates its wealth and income. All of us must be concerned about this because it is the way we survive and thrive in our World. There are very few people who I meet who would argue with how we obtain our income, but most express concerns regarding the sustainability of our farming sector.

September 2014

At Fertilizer New Zealand we spend an inordinate amount of time and money explaining to our potential clients that we provide products that are far more sympathetic to the aims and objectives of modern farming systems. So how did we get to this point where the only advice farmers seem to get is to throw on more super and nitrogen?

August 2014

It's really encouraging to have farmers looking for new solutions. It always starts on the farm, no matter how sophisticated and hi-tech the scientific community become or how much money is spent, change comes from those who are out there doing the business on the ground.

July 2014

From time to time it is necessary for me to visit our suppliers on the other side of the world and ensure that our relationships are sound and ongoing. I have just returned from such a trip and it is interesting to note the views of those who trade fertiliser worldwide on a huge scale.

June 2014

We have been thinking of our many friends in the West Coast region where there has been a once in three hundred year storm, and in Canterbury where it does not want to stop raining.

May 2014

With the Government putting a heavy emphasis on other products of a more technical nature you would assume that they would now be playing a part in our exporting figures. However we are still close to 70% reliant on agriculture for our existence.

April 2014

As I write this some of our farmlands are getting much needed rain, which I hope will signal the start of good autumn growth. Much of New Zealand has experienced a dry spell and for some it has been severe. The southern part of the South Island has been the exception, where pasture growth has been good all season.

March 2014

Phosphate 365
Recently an independent fertiliser consultant in the Waikato questioned the phosphate in our competitor’s product. It would be a travesty if they were trying to put people off this alternative to their mainstream products by presenting something that is less than it could be.

February 2014

You Reap What You Grow
Environmental issues are certainly alive and being discussed within farming circles. I have been receiving a massive number of phone calls since the new year asking about our products, especially phosphate.

January 2014

Turning around organic depletion is one of the corner stones of Fertilizer New Zealand. Our VitaLife range bears testament to this as it contains a range of microbes and fungi that are known to break down the thatch, stubble and animal residues on the surface of the soil and turn it in to humus.

December 2013

fungi
I sometimes worry about the rising base costs of our farming systems. A couple of articles I have read recently have brought this to mind once again. The first one was from a visiting Irish farmer with properties in New Zealand and the other was from a well known agronomist who was once again preaching on the God given benefits of the wonderful clover plant.

November 2013

It seems to me that the hardest thing to change in this world is the status quo and there are some very good reasons for this. The main one being that there is one big heap of serious money invested in the status quo. The second reason is that a huge number of people have their reputations and futures dependent on the status quo.

October 2013

Spring is here and we can hopefully put meat exporting hold-ups and Fonterra problems behind us and get on with the serious business of fattening lambs, growing wool and producing milk.

September 2013

July 2013 viewpoint *Soil Testing and the Results *Calcium is king *Growing food for human consumption

July 2013

Our Team - John Barnes Managing Director
Viewpoint June 2013 with John Barnes. As part of keeping in touch with industry matters I attended the Agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek outside Hamilton and met with many people who are involved in the same business as us. It is a great place to liaise with people who for a few days are all accessible in one spot.

June 2013

fertnz soli testing ravensdown ballance outgro liquid fish fertilizer fertiliser
May 2013 VIEWPOINT with John Barnes *2013 Budget *Soil Testing *Cations *Soil soil and more soil!

May 2013

april viewpoint kelvin hicks cadmium autumn
*John Key is leading another Trade Mission to China *Vegetative Growth and Reproductive Growth *Reseeding For Autumn *Ballance Farm Environment Award Winner Kelvin Hicks *John Turner

April 2013