Future proofing our business means staying one step ahead of potential challenges for New Zealand agriculture. A good example is ensuring our fertilisers continue to maintain the healthy soils which are so important for agriculture. That’s especially important with superphosphate, given phosphate rock carries the heavy metal element cadmium.
Cadmium tends to build up in soil over long periods of time when phosphate-based fertilisers are used. Updates to New Zealand’s national soil cadmium database show levels in agricultural soil are similar to or lower than those found internationally and pose minimal risk to health and the environment.
Ballance is party to the Government’s Cadmium Management Strategy, launched in 2011. We serve on the working group which is implementing this strategy to keep cadmium levels within safe limits long-term, and we are also taking a responsible approach to superphosphate manufacturing. This includes sourcing a range of phosphate rock for our superphosphate manufacturing to enable us to continue to lower cadmium levels well ahead of industry guidelines.
For detailed information download our fact sheets.