Ballance announces rock bottom fertiliser prices

 
MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE USE
 
5 February 2009
 
Ballance announces rock bottom fertiliser prices
 
Ballance Agri-Nutrients has sweetened it fertiliser sales promotion already in the market by coming out with new prices for all its main products.
 
The farmer-owned fertiliser co-operative promised its shareholders in January they could pocket a $35 per tonne discount on its phosphate fertilisers uplifted before the end of February.
 
It has now slashed its prices further, and will still honour the additional $35/t discount, making its current prices the best in New Zealand by a good margin.
 
Ballance Chief Executive Larry Bilodeau says the new low prices do not reflect the full cost of the inventory but the company has made a commitment to farmers that Ballance would cut its prices as quickly and as often as it could, in line with its original founding purpose – to provide a reliable supply of high-quality fertiliser at the lowest possible cost.
 
‘Quite simply, our message to farmers is “Get it on!”, says Mr Bilodeau.
 
‘The uncertainty in the international market, coupled with the global economic downturn, has diverted attention from the real reason farmers buy fertiliser – to get the maximum return from their farming operation.
 
‘Farmers need to get fertiliser on soon to maximise their autumn production, so we have moved decisively to take pricing out of the equation. Our latest prices are extremely competitive, and we have made the move now to enable farmers to make the right agronomic decisions early.
 
‘These latest prices are in effect our 1 March price review, which we have brought forward to give farmers the confidence to pick up fertiliser without having to worry about any potential price change.’
 
He says Ballance has led the market down in successive increments since being the first to cut the price of urea back in November last year. It followed this a few days later with new prices for its main phosphate-based products, and launched its price promotion offer in January.
 
‘Each time we have moved the market has followed, so I am delighted to be the catalyst for savings for our hard-pressed farmers. It is extremely satisfying to see that all the pricing initiatives have come from us, and I am determined to make sure there is no procrastination in reflecting international prices here in New Zealand.
 
The new Ballance prices take effect Monday 9 February, and are shown in full on the company’s website at www.ballance.co.nz                          
 
ENDS

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