Farmers' preference for liquid fertiliser leads to investment growth

Farmers’ growing preference for more efficient liquid fertiliser has led to a significant increase in investment at BFS Fertiliser Services, the award-winning UK leaders in crop nutrition.

Seven new 100,000 litre storage tanks have been installed at the BFS Fertilisers’ production site at Ilgars in Essex, substantially increasing on-site storage capacity. At the same time, the company’s delivery capacity has been enhanced with the addition of two new state-of-the-art road tankers.

Besides increasing its own capacity at Ilgars, BFS Fertilisers has also recently been installing storage tanks on farms throughout the south of England, as farmers switch from solid to liquid fertiliser to take advantage of the significant benefits that liquids provide.

The main advantage is economic.

“Unlike solid fertilisers, they can be sprayed with precision right up to the headland, allowing crops to be grown right up to the field edge, significantly increasing the yield potential,” says Rosalind Platt, BFS Fertilisers’ Director. Headlands are generally believed to account for some five per cent of the land available.

Liquids also ensure consistency of application, eliminate field margin contamination and reduce waste, so helping compliance with NVZ guidelines. Moreover, much wider booms can be used, saving time, which is essential in short weather windows, and minimising wheel damage. Also using BFS Fertilisers’ solutions, which are more concentrated and tailored to each farm’s requirements, allows farmers to reduce application rates. All of which means that they can employ their labour and machinery more efficiently.

Following the new upgrading and streamlining of its business operations, BFS Fertilisers believes it is now well placed to meet the increasing demand for liquid fertilisers.