ADRIAN Ward neatly sums up what farmers want from their fertiliser and animal nutrition.
"The bottom line is most farmers want to know how to make more money out of their farms," he said.
With this in mind, the TNN Industries distributor, along with area manager, Jim Seabrook, decided to test their products by benchmarking data from eight client dairy farms against ABARE statistics.
The comparison was done by an independent consultancy over three financial years with data from clients who had been using biological and sustainable fertiliser blends for between one and 10 years.
The results were on display at the recent Farm World field days at Lardner Park.
The percentage of total farm costs relative to the fertilisers and feed growing was less for the TNN farmers across the three years.
In the first financial year - 2005-06 - these costs made up 8 per cent of the farmers' costs, compared with the ABARE figures of about 9 per cent.
In 2007-08, the gap had grown to about 3 per cent.
It was a similar story with fodder purchases.
In 2006-07, fodder purchases accounted for 25 per cent of TNN farmers' total farm costs compared to the ABARE figures at about 33 per cent.
The following year, TNN farmers' fodder purchases remained at about the same level, but the ABARE figures rose to 36 per cent of total farm costs. The figures showed higher production per cow for the TNN farmers compared with the ABARE statistics as well as a higher total profit.
Mr Ward said an example of where farmers could make savings was with a product called Urea Supreme, which is coated in humate-based nitrogen and trace elements.
He said farmers using Urea Supreme needed only one 80kg/ha spread, compared with other urea which required two applications six weeks apart at a rate of 100kg/ha.
