The incumbent agricultural and silvicultural practices are degenerating soils, and polluting water supplies. The model that treats symptoms instead of causes lines the pockets of corporations, companies and co-operative head offices at the expense of farmers’ and growers’ profits. Government agencies, regional councils, advisory services and the government itself are equally culpable. One study measured a mere 2% difference between Canadian farmers gross and net incomes.
Most of us have been brainwashed by the system that demands high inputs of a mostly chemical nature in the mistaken belief that it gives higher yields and produces healthy food. Nothing could be further from the truth. Food quality has declined markedly over the past 70 years. Any spray for any pest or disease is a short-term solution with unforeseen long-term negative consequences.
Man has strived for generations to better nature. Very rarely do we work with nature. We fight with her and seemingly win the day, but we do not win. We lose. Natural cycles are ignored. In doing so we short circuit an inexpensive model and replace it with a costly one. In doing so, the service industries clip the ticket time and time again. The primary producers miss out. Even the banks have joined that feeding frenzy.
An example is the use of synthetic nitrogen. In 1979, just 16,000 tonnes of urea were imported. These days the usage of urea has surged to 820,000 tonnes per year. Pasture production in the 1960’s and 70’s was measured at 17-18,000 kg/ha in Waikato. These days it is less. Our reward is polluted rivers and ground water aquifers. In Canterbury it has reached crisis point. Another example is phosphate. We invariably see excess phosphate in the soil test results, but certain companies keep on putting more and more phosphate on when there is already too much in the soil.
Government believes planting conifers, an action that displaces farmers, will sequester carbon. So will pasture. It is well documented that pine forests transpire more moisture and decrease surface and ground water levels. They reduce biodiversity plus increase temperatures by several degrees compared to native forests. Ultimately, they make things worse. Where has honest leadership gone?
It is so easy to get out of this mind set. This is what Kiwi Fertiliser and Total Replacement Therapy is all about. It’s about getting off the hard chemicals and encouraging biodiversity. It is about stopping the destruction of the soil microorganisms and encouraging them to flourish. It is about building vibrant, robust systems, not restricting them. It is about melding the chemical, the physical and the biological spheres together into a cohesive, thriving package. It is about improving stock health and conception rates. It is about increasing profit. Production isn’t necessarily compromised, but the factors that drive profit trump making production goals the target.
We at Kiwi Fertiliser have been practicing this for 10 years, some of us have been involved for longer. We are part of a world-wide system that improves your farms and orchards, the environment and the bottom line. Call your Kiwi Fertiliser consultant. Let them show you how to regain control.
