SCOTLAND is becoming well served by fertiliser businesses, with the news that national manufacturer and distributor, Glasson Fertilizers, is expanding its operations in Scotland following the acquisition of Bunn Fertiliser’s blending plant at Montrose.

The 700 tonnes/day plant has extensive storage facilities and direct quay-side access to ships delivering raw materials without double handling, which should help Glasson’s service and distribution to the company’s growing customer base in Scotland.

“Montrose is an excellent facility and an ideal base to provide a fast, efficient service to farmers through our merchant distributors,” said director, Robert Ingham. “The company is well-established throughout England and southern Scotland through our existing plants at Winmarleigh (Lancaster), Goole and Birkenhead and this new facility will allow us to supply a locally-produced product to farmers throughout Scotland.”

The company supplies a range of blended, straight and compound fertilisers and specialises in the production of high quality calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) blends, suitable for all crops, which are viewed as an efficient form of nitrogen because of their immediate availability for plant growth and the key to achieving optimum yield.

“Key to our strategy is a continuous programme of innovation and product development aimed at improving nutrient efficiency and farmer returns on fertiliser” said Mr Ingham. “It is our mission to provide farmers with products that will increase the yield and quality of their farm outputs.”

Central to this mission is consultant, Bill Petrie – well-known in Scotland for his expertise in crop husbandry – and he pointed out that ‘precision nutrition’ is central to Glasson’s philosophy. “Generally speaking, soils in Scotland are low in calcium,” said Mr Petrie. “By applying CAN-based, maximum concentration blends, farmers can help to support their pH and create a better environment in the soil for root development and formation.” Increased root mass, noted Mr Petrie, is fundamental to increasing crop quality and yield.

The company’s operation in Scotland is headed up by commercial manager, Graeme Logan, who, after joining Glasson two years ago, has built up a close relationship with the merchant trade to ensure a first-class service to farmers.

“Glasson may be a relatively new name to Scottish farmers but there is a lot of experience in the company which will be of benefit to farmers,” said Mr Logan. “It’s all about precision farming these days and our team offers all the expertise and knowledge required to help farmers achieve optimum results, and provide some much needed competition in the Scottish market.”