AUSTRALIAN fertiliser giant Incitec Pivot has made a $38 million investment in a start-up sustainable fertiliser business.
Incitec Pivot will now have a majority stake in Australian Bio Fert, which plans to develop Australia's first largescale sustainable fertiliser plant.
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ABF will set up its plant near Lethbridge, north of Geelong, in the heart of a large poultry industry and will use poultry waste to produce 75,000 tonnes per annum of granular biofertilisers that combine torrefied organic waste materials with carbon and fertiliser products.
Incitec Pivot managing director Jeanne Johns said the investment highlighted IPL's focus on sustainable farming and its push to transform the fertiliser business into a soil health company.
"This investment in regional Victoria is a great example of the environmentally friendly circular economy in action and part of a commitment to help our farming customers reduce environmental impacts while using our safe and effective products," Ms Johns said.
"We are delighted to partner with ABF and bring this innovative technology to the Australian agricultural sector," she said.
Poultry manure is recognised as a valuable fertiliser but there have been some concerns about it still containing pathogens and bacteria harmful to human health.
IPL said the new plant would be able to process the manure and litter so it did not contain any pathogens.
ABF chairman Andrew Buchanan was delighted with the announcement, saying the new technology, combined with IPL's footprint across Australia was a winner.
"This innovative Australian technology creates a new product category for farmers, which we can now commercialise and take to market through IPL's established and respected professional services and distribution network across the east coast of Australia," Mr Buchanan said.
Along with providing an alternative source of fertiliser, the Lethbridge plant will be a source of employment in the Geelong district.
IPL said the proposed new plant will deliver around 25 full time jobs to the Geelong region, as well as additional jobs during the construction phase which is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2022.
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Gregor Heard
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
