Scottish farmers have been promised more competitively-priced liquid fertilisers following the opening of a new 16,000-tonne mixing and storage plant at the Port of Dundee.
Until now, Lincolnshire-based Omex Agriculture has been hauling its
product, Nitroflo, to Scotland from Newcastle. Managing director Max Winkler said the £3 million facility was the company’s biggest-ever capital investment.
“Although we’ve been working with Scottish farmers for many years, this new facility will give them better access to liquid fertiliser and all their benefits,” he said.
“We have two tanks, each of 6,000-tonne capacity holding UAN and an ammonium sulphate liquid tank of 3,000 tonnes as well as a water tank, and this port allows us to bring in 10,000-tonne vessels so we can access global supplies from Russia, North America and Asia, whereas if you only have small port facility you can only take in from the European market.
“That means we can have competitive pricing for Scottish farmers.”
Mr Winkler said the trend in the UK fertiliser market was going from solid to liquid, mainly because of the ease of handling, reduced wastage and the
environmental and handling advantages it brings over solid fertiliser.
The product will be sold through distributors and directly to farmers.
Forth Ports chief operating officer Stuart Wallace said Dundee was already a strong regional port for the agricultural sector and had handled solid fertiliser for a number of years.
He added: “We see liquid as a valuable addition in the supply chain to the
agricultural sector in Tayside, Angus and the wider area. Already 12,000 tonnes has gone through the plant since it started in the spring.”
nnicolson@thecourier.co.uk
