With the recent sale of a British owned fertiliser manufacturer to an overseas company, UK growers who want to "Buy British" now have just one credible option – Law Fertilisers.
Mark Law, Managing Director of Law Fertilisers says "it is a real shame that fewer and fewer agricultural inputs are being supplied by British-owned companies." With the recently announced sale of J and H Bunn to US company Koch Fertilisers from Kansas, this means that Law’s are the only British-owned granular fertiliser manufacturer in the UK. Mr Law says "I know many growers will feel this loss and will want to continue to be loyal to British-owned businesses. "
He points out that during the past decade, household names such as Cadburys, P&O, O2, Abbey, BAA, Land Rover, Pilkington and Corus have all succumbed to foreign takeovers, along with a clutch of electricity and water companies. British manufacturing now employs less than 3 million people compared to 7 million in the early 2000s.
"The security and quality of our food is dependent on the fertility of our soils which in turn relies upon the efficiency and reliability of the fertiliser industry," says Mark.
He also points out that the increasing volatility of climate, the need to increase crop yields to meet world population growth combined with dwindling mineral and gas reserves puts tremendous stresses on a fertiliser industry now at least 95% controlled by foreign-based shareholders. "This may lead to future conflicts of interest as supplies and markets become more volatile such that "home" markets may take priority for resources."
Mark Law says that it is particularly sad as Great Britain was the world pioneer in fertilisers and farming, firstly in sourcing rich organic resources such as guano and salitre from South America partly due to the British naval supremacy of the 17th and 18th centuries and secondly in the development of the first synthetic fertilisers with the production of superphosphate by Sir John Lawes at Barking in 1850. "The British fertiliser industry played a major role in both the agricultural and industrial revolutions of the 18th and 19th century."
The British fertiliser companies starting with Lawes in 1850 through to Fisons in the early 20th century and then recently ICI who developed the UK’s only salt and potash mines, were great contributors to the development of agricultural science through their research and investigation initiatives. Although these organisations have long since disappeared from the industry at least Lawes’ legacy continues with Rothamsted Research Station at Harpenden run by Lawes Trust, he says.
"Current foreign operators are not funding independent research to support British farming at a time when global crop yields must increase by 50% over the next 30 years and British budget deficits get larger and larger. British farming, just like British industry, needs the security of a British supply base where there is an appreciation of the ethical standards and heritage of this great British industry," Mark Law concludes.