Fertilizer Industry takes first steps to accreditation. Victoria, McClelland's Transport
Fertilizer industry takes first steps to accreditation
Better management of the environment, food safety issues and the health and safety of all fertilizer users is at the heart of a newly introduced three-tier training and accreditation program for Australia’s fertilizer industry.
The Fertcare program was developed by the Fertilizer Industry Federation of Australia (FIFA) and the Australian Fertiliser Services Association (AFSA), primarily to address the environmental issues associated with using fertilizer.
Nick Drew, Executive Manager for FIFA and AFSA, said while the roll-out of Fertcare training and accreditation was still in its early stages, it had the potential to significantly improve fertilizer handling and use practices across the country.
“One of the key aims of the Fertcare program is for all Australian farmers to receive consistent quality advice on the handling and use of fertilizers and soil ameliorants,” he said.
“The program has been designed to lift the skills and knowledge of everyone involved in the supply and distribution of fertilizers, recognising that there are some serious consequences for misuse.”
Mr Drew said the program was strongly backed by the industry and likely to be adopted by the vast majority of Australian businesses involved in fertilizer supply and distribution. It also has the support of the National Landcare Program, including funding for the development and promotion of the project.
Fertcare training is conducted at three levels, aimed at logistics providers, sales staff and advisers.
Level A training involves developing a basic understanding of fertilizers and soil ameliorants, such as physical identification, understanding labelling, storage and handling characteristics and the main environmental and food safety risks.
A more advanced course for sales staff, Level B, provides basic training in plant nutrition as well as giving participants greater knowledge of the nutrient issues relating to the environment and food safety.
Level C training is aimed at agronomists. The course covers environmental issues, environmental stewardship practices, regulations and label requirements, sampling and food safety issues. With recognition of prior competency, agronomists can become fully accredited Fertcare advisers.
One of the first distributors to undertake Level B training was Debbie McClelland from McClelland’s Transport at Bealiba, Victoria.
Based in central Victoria, McClelland's Transport services the prime cropping district between Maryborough, St Arnaud and Dunolly. They have six silos on site, which store up to 54 tonnes of fertilizer and a 500 tonne capacity shed for single superphosphate.
While a major part of their business is in providing a smooth logistics operation for busy customers, advice also has a place, with Debbie responsible for most of the day to day sales support.
“I’m not an agronomist, so in our small business, it is important for me to know as much as I can to help local growers understand their soils and fertilizer requirements,” Mrs McClelland said.
“Fertcare was an excellent way to improve my knowledge and gave me a great bank of reference material too,” she said.
“The learning format, with modules on a CD, assignments and a workshop, meant I could do it at my own pace, and it covers all learning methods from listening to reading and visual concepts and practical exercises.”
She found it more interesting that she expected and spent extra time following up information for her assignments and putting some of the theory into operation.
“We covered the code of practice for fertilizer standards and labelling of fertilizers, which basically says that customers should be given labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the fertilizers they purchase,” she said.
“I downloaded all the information we needed from the Incitec Pivot website and posted them to our customers in folios, asking them to keep it on file.
“A lot of the time when customers come in for bulk or bagged fertilisers, they’re extremely impatient, so this is one less thing they’ll be waiting for.”
The McClellands have also made changes in their spreading operations, with Peter McClelland investing in a GPS and obtaining AccuSpread certification.
“Fertcare training has been well and truly worth the money for our business,” she said.
“We’re a small business, with very limited agronomic resources, so this knowledge is really valuable.”
Enquiries about Fertcare can be directed to FIFA in Canberra on 02 6230 6987.
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Captions:
1. Nick Drew, Executive Manager for FIFA and AFSA, said Fertcare had the potential to significantly improve fertilizer handling and use practices across the country.
2. McClelland’s Transport has made good use of the Fertcare program, with Debbie McClelland taking Fertcare Level B and Peter McClelland achieving AccuSpread certification for spreading.
EDITOR’S CONTACT:
Kathryn Loader, Jenny Gilbert Communications
tel 03 9878 1255
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