Business Rural Winter 2021

| 79 RURAL SERVICES » Milburn Lime Lime central to animal, plant health Processing lime involves drilling and blasting a 32-metre high lime wall face. Each blast yields 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes of limestone which is then carted from the quarry to the crushing and processing plant. A recent purchase has been a Volvo wheel loader (below). A 15,000-tonne storage (bottom) shed holds the processed lime. Karen Phelps F armers looking for lime to help increase the fertility of their soil need to look no further than Milburn Lime, which has developed a New Zealand-wide reputation for its high-quality agricul- tural product. According to company owner Roger Mahan, Milburn lime gives top results for both plant and animal health. “Milburn lime naturally contains calcium, mag- nesium, potassium, sodium, sulphur, zinc, copper, boron, and phosphate. The phosphate present in Milburn lime is a plus, especially for clovers, which are so important for nitrogen in the soil,” 0800 30 30 90 I abequipment.co.nz 24/7 SERVICE, PARTS & BREAKDOWN SUPPORT. Specialists in Construction, Forestry & Material Handling Equipment. For All Your Cartage Requirements • Stock Cartage • Fertiliser • Spreading • General Cartage Proud to support Milburn Lime Owaka’s Cartage Specialist W.E. Perrin Ltd Phone 03 415 8360 Livestock, Fer�l iser Spreading & Bul k Cartage CLUTHA VALLEY TRANSPORT LTD Phone: 03 415 9114 Proud to Support Milburn Lime he says. “Some limes contain iron, which tends to lock up the other minerals. Limes that are not pure white are generally contaminated with sea- bed clays, which hold moisture and generally clog, and require kiln drying. Because Milburn lime is very dry when taken from the quarry, it does not require drying.” It was in July 1993 that Roger opened Hilton Lime Co in the Milburn quarry in Milton in South Otago after securing limestone from the former Dominion lime and phosphate quarry. In 1995 the company’s name was changed to Milburn Lime. The new firm began with six employees, and now employs up to 14 people during the peak summer season. Constant investment in the latest equipment and technology has been an important factor in the growth and success of the business. The massive upgrading of machinery has included re- placing the 20-tonne excavator with a 110-tonne model, and motor scrapers with 25-tonne capacity have been replaced with three dump trucks, each of which can carry 100 tonnes. A recent purchase has been a Volvo L220H wheel loader, which will further boost productivity. Milburn Lime can now produce more than 2000 tonnes of lime a day, and its annual tonnage is now well over 100,000 tonnes. This means that farmers can always get the high quality lime they need then they need it. The processing plant produces agricultural lime for South Otago, West Otago, Central Otago and Southland farmers. “Processing the lime involves shifting the overburden on top, then drilling and blasting the 32-metre-high lime-wall face,” Roger says. Each blast contains several tonnes of explo- sives, and each blast design yields 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes of well-broken limestone. The lime is then carted from the quarry to the crushing and processing plant. A 15,000-tonne storage shed holds processed dry, very white lime, which is available all year round. As well as agricultural lime Milburn Lime produces knaprock for dairy lanes and grades of lime chip for drives and horse arenas. Besides producing high quality product, the Milburn quarry is also of historic importance. It is thought to hold fossils that are 30 million years old. A shed, which Milburn Lime has built at a lookout past the limeworks, holds a large whale- jaw fossil and other fossils. There are also historic photos of the limeworks, showing the various areas of operation and equipment. The lookout is maintained by the Waihola Looking Forward Group and is well worth a visit, says Roger.