The Solution Lies in the Soil
By Tristan Hooker/MediaPA
Farmers have had a rough time lately. Once seen as the backbone of our economy, the New Zealand farming community has been rocked by bad press, financial struggles and unprecedented levels of depression and suicide.
Farming has long been New Zealand’s biggest export industry but has recently been taken over by tourism and milk prices have dropped dramatically during the past few years. This downturn has left many farmers discouraged and worried about the future.
John Davis CEO, of environmentally friendly fertiliser company Uptake, says the solution starts with the soil and intelligent, science-based soil mineral replenishment, which supports the environment, is the way of the future.
“I want farming to become enjoyable again,” says Mr Davis. “Farmers work very hard and it’s distressing to be putting in a lot of work and still have a farm that’s not producing to its full potential.”
Dr William Rolleston, President of Federated Farmers, said in a speech at the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Internal Science Conference this month, “the green revolution of the 1960s, with the use of pesticides, fertiliser and new hybrid seeds, gave the world a quantum lift in production.
“However the FAO [Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations] has said the world needs to increase our food production 60 percent by 2050 if we are to feed a growing population. We need to do that within a shrinking environmental footprint. We need a second green revolution.”
John Davis agrees and says the way forward is attaining the correct nutrient combinations for healthy soil, tailored to the needs of each farm and reaching out to the market requirement of healthy, pasture fed, nutrient sufficient and safe to eat food.
“If we continue to fertilise at the expense of biological quality the sustainable functions of the soil will disappear,” says Mr Davis.
Mr Davis and his team at Uptake have spent many years experimenting and developing the systems they use to replenish the nutrient value of the soil, building the foundation for healthy pasture and healthy stock.
He says one of his greatest pleasures is receiving feedback from farmers who have been able to turn their farms around and enjoy their work again.
“To go back and see a client, walk onto their farm and see the progress they have made,” says Mr Davis, “is very satisfying. It’s good to see farmers learning to love their work and their animals, again.”
Find out about how to create healthy soil by getting the team from Uptake to visit your farm and advise you of the best solution.
Uptake Office
PO Box 743, Fleet Street, Taupo
Phone: 07 378 2604
Email: info@uptake.co.nz
Website: www.uptake.co.nz
Factory Phone: 06 835 0130
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UptakeFertiliser/?fref=ts
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