Adding Life
Who are we
Adding life was brothers Chris and Pieter Burger’s goal since the establishment of the original Vetrivier Boeredienste in the Hoopstad district in the Free State. After completing their studies at the Potchefstroom Agricultural College, the brothers set out realising their dream of helping farmers with products required to achieve success.
Following the tragic loss of his brother in 1999, Pieter kept his brother’s memory alive by continuing to add life – also to the company. After identifying a need for prescription fertiliser mixtures, Pieter began buying the raw elements required to prepare fertiliser according to each farmer’s unique soil needs. Today the company is known as Westfert, and there are more plans to add life to this remarkable agricultural service provider. Westfert’s bigger Hoopstad blending plant will increase the company’s capacity and provide storage facilities to farmers. The plant will also create job opportunities, which will add life to the local community. Westfert expanded and opened a branch at Wonderfontein in Mpumalanga.
The Westfert Vision
Independent soil experts
Westfert works with independent soil experts as part of the preparation of products for each client’s unique requirements. To be alive also means to be able to adapt, and Westfert is proud of its capacity for innovation and the ability to provide new solutions for each challenge. Westfert is not a fertiliser supplier, but rather a problem-solver that takes calculated risks to unlock potential. Our focus is on what happens beneath the surface of the soil. The life that is added to the roots determines the success of the fruit, or in this case the abundance of the harvest.
life and agriculture
As with its products, Westfert’s philosophy is also a unique mix of traditional values, a conservative approach of respect towards others and at the same time the latest technical developments in the fertiliser industry.
Both life and agriculture are aimed at the future. This not only applies to the practical labour and decision-making required for successful farming but also to the families and communities involved. Westfert adds life to soil and crops, but the company also adds this passion for growth and sustainability to its relationship with clients. Developing and maintaining a relationship requires the same commitment and skill as the technical processes for the development of a fertiliser solution.
The world’s need for food continues to grow and it remains a challenge to feed the world!
Crops are cultivated slower than demand necessitates. Yield per hectare can only be increased through new technology and through the increased application of nutrients. Better fertilisation techniques will improve the yield and availability of crops worldwide.
Westfert not only supplies fertiliser to its clients but, in cooperation with independent soil expert services, also offers the best options for each client’s specific requirements. Through prescription blends Westfert offers each client the possibility of fertilising their crop optimally.
Our prescription blends are formulated, blended, and delivered according to the client’s specifications. Using the soil analysis and the type of crop as guideline, a prescription blend is formulated to provide optimal support to the crop and to address soil deficiencies.
“With these prescription blends the Westfert technical, and sales team formulates products that deliver a cost-effective, optimal yield. Our main priority remains our long-established good relationship with our client, the farmer. We aim to provide the best service all the time.”
We formulate granules in the proper combination to provide the necessary nutrients in line with the requirements of the soil and the crop. Westfert’s granular plant blends are mostly based on ammonium nitrate as source of nitrogen.
Westfert has its own storage and blending facilities at Hoopstad and Wonderfontein, located in the most important grain production areas of South Africa. We can provide in the farmer’s needs. Please contact a member of our technical and sales team to find out more about specific products that could address your special requirements.
The pre-plant prescription blends are ideal to lay down nitrogen in the soil before planting commences and provides the peace of mind that the nitrogen will not “disappear” into the ground.
Westfert has its own storage and blending facilities at Hoopstad and Wonderfontein, located in the most important grain production areas of South Africa. We can provide in the farmer’s needs. Please contact a member of our technical and sales team to find out more about specific products that could address your special requirements.
The granular product is named as follows:
For example: 4.3.4 (40)Zn + S