David Birkett: Federated Farmers Arable Chairperson on the gas shortage potentially temporarily shutting down Kapuni fertiliser plant

A hit for the Taranaki region, with dwindling gas supply forcing a potential short-term shutdown of a local fertiliser plant.  

Ballance Agri-Nutrients may have to cease operations at Kapuni for up to four months if it can't secure more gas before its contract expires next month.  

The company manufactures about a third of the country's urea fertiliser each year. 

Federated Farmers Arable Chairperson David Birkett told Kerre Woodham it’s been an ongoing issue that has just been getting worse and worse. 

He says that plants like that in Kapuni was built around the gas supplies nearby, and to convert it to another fuel source would be a huge and expensive process. 

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