Business Rural North Spring 2021

56 | Biofert improving soil for animals and The Biofert team at their Pokeno base. Kim Newth RURAL SERVICES » Biofert “We did a lot of trial work which showed that BioPhos is as effective as superphosphate at getting phosphate into plants but that it’s better environmentally as it doesn’t have the leaching effects.” B ill Sinclair is thankful that his mother Pepe, a Cook Islander, instilled in his family a rever- ence for fish as a pivotal source of protein. Ultimately, this is what sowed the seed for the development of the family business, Pacific Biofert, which provides high quality fertiliser products and nutrient management advice to New Zealand’s primary producers. It all started on the family’s 100 acre block near Auckland, where Bill’s father – the late Clive Sinclair – had a light bulb moment when he was feeding his pigs and thinking about where he could find a good source of protein. Fish was what came to mind. “He went around the local fish shops and started buying up fish offal and processing it and feeding it to the pigs,” Bill recalls. “The pigs thrived on it but unfortunately Dad soon realised that feeding too much of it tainted the meat.” Yet the experience had opened his eyes to how much fish offal there was, all going to the landfill, and he started thinking about what else it could be used for. He began working on a liquid fertiliser product and, after many trials, time and effort, put together a company and started selling fertiliser.” Today, Biofert’s Moana liquid fish fertilisers are still a core part of the range and Bill continues to refine his father’s legacy as the company’s director. “What Dad learned through the trials is that fish has two great properties: it’s high in protein and amino acids and also has this ability to feed and supply all the essential microbes in the soil.” He became fascinated with biological delivery of nutrition to plants as opposed to chemical nutrition through water solutions. This, in turn, fuelled the development of Biofert’s BioPhos as an alternative to superphosphate. Bill observes that superphosphate has been the backbone of New Zealand agriculture but the problem is that it is essentially too soluble and too prone to leaching in the soil profile, not giving plants enough opportunity to absorb it and with flow on environmental costs. He explains that BioPhos has a different ap- proach, harnessing the power of microbes in the soil to improve phosphate take-up by plants. BioPhos is formulated from phosphate rock, inoculated with fungi and bacteria that converts phosphate to a highly plant available form. It is also heavily resistant to leaching losses and, with a higher phosphate content than superphosphate, results in reduced costs for farmers. “We did a lot of trial work which showed that BioPhos is as effective as superphosphate at getting phosphate into plants but that it’s better environ- mentally as it doesn’t have the leaching effects.” Ballance AgriNutrients held the rights to sell BioPhos but Biofert has recently reacquired those rights. This has fuelled rapid growth for the Pokeno-based company over the past two years, with output and turnover doubling. “We’re not in the same league as Ballance or Ravensdown but we’re a significant player and we’ve been BioGro certified since 1987. Our principals are rooted in the biological delivery of minerals. We’re actually the longest surviving BioGro certified agricultural supply company in New Zealand.” Biofert also offers a Slow Release Coated Urea, again designed to significantly reduce leaching losses. The product has an enzyme coating which slows the release of nitrogen into the soil at a rate that matches the plants’ requirements with a release period of 60 to 90 days. Biofert’s sales reps regularly visit farmers, and conduct soil testing and pasture leaf analysis that can guide decisions on what products to use. Meanwhile, Bill and wife Sue are proud of their own family’s ongoing achievements with their 23-year-old daughter Katie a fourth year medical student and their younger daughter Greer a profes- sional netballer who is studying for a business degree at AUT. The best value loaders in NewZealand from Landex The new XC range of wheel loaders include many features that are only options from other suppliers. Now available with automatic transmissions, hydraulic quick hitches, reversing cooling fans, wet axles and boom suspension. A huge step up in quality, at the same great value Landex is known for. Construction Machinery, sorted. Call: 0800 Landex 9-13 Sims Rd Penrose www.landex.co.nz sales@landex.co.nz We’re ready to help you today