I wish to comment on the article on contaminated soils in NZ. We can prove our soils and water are suffering with heavy metal contamination from the heavy use of phosphate rock over the past 30 years. Prior to that Guano was the base of Super Phosphate.

Rock phosphate’s are so high in undepleted uranium that several mines are on offer as uranium deposits. Morocco is the largest exporter and its phosphate is on that list.

There has been a huge fuss about the health and pollution problems that have arisen in Eastern Europe, as the result of the use by NATO, of depleted uranium shells in Kosovo (9 tonnes admitted to) and Serbia (3 tonnes admitted to) but coming under the radar, those of us who live in the rich world may have a larger problem with radioactivity. The chemical fertiliser companies are spreading huge quantities of uranium onto our fields that grow our food. It comes as a freebie with the phosphate fertilisers they make from phosphate.

Rock phosphate also contains the heavy metals lead (Pb), Arsenic (As), Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd), and Fluorine (F) and there is an enhancement of these toxic metals when blended with sulphuric acid, the additive that results in Super Phosphate. These heavy metals are all accumulating in our soils and transferring through to our waters and our food.

There are no rules of regulations governing, restricting or excluding phosphate rock, with its devesting effects, on our environment, our health, but more importantly, on our farming. The reason for this, is, that the big players importing and selling this toxic material are in control of our agricultural universities, our soil science ( which has nothing to do with the soil as it is based on the NPK balance sheet theory) and definitely dominates our Ministry of Agriculture. This crazy corporate control system is not only devastating and eroding our farming an our environment, it is also compromising our clean green image at a time when the affluent consumers in our export markets are questioning production methods!

Our planet has supported life for million of years; whereas in a miniscule period of 30 years of phosphate rock and urea, here in NZ. we have escalating problems.

John K Morris

Agrissentials NZ Ltd