The farm supply cooperative Agris has upgraded its fertilizer blending capabilities and yesterday cut the ribbon on a new $2.6-million plant in Cottam.
General manager Jim Campbell says it can mix fertilizer eight times faster than the previous facility but it can also blend more types of nutrients with greater precision than ever.
"It's really three parts, it's about the precision farmers need of what plant nutrients need to be on what part of their field, it's about the flexibility that every field is a little different, he says. "So we can't compromise precision and flexibility just to get speed."
Board chair Larry Pajot says it reflects changes in agriculture.
"Farmers aren't planting 30-40 acres a day," he says. "They are planting with 16 row planters they are doing 200-300 acres a day they want product and they want it now."
Agris is owned by 1,000 farmers who are co-op members.
The new facility is the final element in a $5-million upgrade across its entire system.
