Nutrien Ag Solutions buys York fertiliser depot Emfert as part of ‘critical’ expansion

A fertiliser blending facility and depot near York will be transformed into Nutrien Ag Solutions’ first up-country storage facility and provide more competition for farmers.

Nutrien Ag Solutions this week announced it had acquired Emfert — a single fertiliser blending facility and depot with 6000t of storage in Burges, north of York.

It is the first up-country site for Nutrien — which has depots at Geraldton, Kwinana, Albany, Esperance and Bunbury — and gives Wheatbelt growers more competition and surety of supply in the highly-competitive and currently volatile fertiliser market.

Nutrien Ag Solutions west region manager Andrew Duperouzel said the site, 7km north of York, would play an important part in the business’ plan to expand fertiliser investment at a time when supply and demand was front of mind for farmers.

“Our bulk nitrogen tanks in Kwinana underpin our efforts to deliver WA farmers reliable access to fertiliser and this investment in Burges will further strengthen the resilience of the local supply chain,” he said.

“Currently many growers are transporting these inputs from our facility in Kwinana, so the addition of this depot in Burges will improve accessibility and create cost efficiencies for growers.”

Emfert was founded in 2005 by owners Luke and Justin Emerson, who said they were looking forward to starting a new chapter.

“Our valued customers remain our priority and they will continue to receive the same level of service and support,” Luke said.

“This integration will see our depot join a global network of agri-related products and services, which is really exciting.”

The additional 6000 tonnes of bulk storage capacity takes Nutrien’s total granular fertiliser storage capacity in the region to more than 200,000 tonnes.

Mr Duperouzel said Nutrien Ag Solutions’ fertiliser arm was experiencing a period of growth, with the Emfert takeover announced just five months after the company unveiled a 50,000-tonne liquid fertiliser storage facility at Kwinana.

The two giant tanks were built at Coogee Chemicals’ site on Kwinana Beach Road and more than quadrupled Nutrien’s 10,000-tonne liquid fertiliser storage capacity.

The Kwinana facility is being used to store imported urea ammonium nitrate imported, with it and the Emfert acquisition flagged as ways to make sure growers have access to a vital crop input in the face of global supply chain pressures.

Nutrien employs more than 4000 staff and has more than 400 retail branches across WA, providing nutrients and crop protection products, seed, agriculture services, agronomic advice and financing for farmers.