A phosphate deficiency is not something you will immediately notice in your animals, but over time, you will notice the effects. Poor production and weak bones are signs of a phosphate deficiency in livestock. South Africa’s soil is naturally low in phosphate, which is why farmers must supplement their animals to keep them strong and healthy.

As early as the 1990s, Yara Animal Nutrition perfected their phosphate supplementation formula. This formula has now been in use for over 36 years and remains the market leader in phosphate supplements for animals.

Ludi Wichmann is one farmer who has gained valuable benefits from phosphate supplementation. His family started farming in the Hattingspruit area near Dundee in 1948. In 1981, he bought the farm, Ignisdale, from his father. He has now been farming cattle there for 45 years. He also runs a small dairy and previously also farmed with pigs.

Before PhosSure was introduced in 1998, Ludi mixed bone meal and phosphate into his animals’ lick. When PhosSure entered the market, the very first load was delivered to his farm. PhosSure is a weather-resistant phosphate and trace mineral supplement. According to Nick de Beer, Technical Adviser at Yara Animal Nutrition for Natal and part of the Free State, there were initial challenges, as with any new product. However, with Ludi’s help, Yara was able to refine the formula to create the winning recipe for PhosSure.

 

 

What is PhosSure?

PhosSure 12 is a phosphate and trace mineral supplement given to animals during the rainy season. Generally, green, natural grazing provides the energy and protein that livestock need, but because the soil — and therefore the pasture — is low in phosphate, supplementation is necessary. PhosSure 12 contains 12% phosphate, as well as calcium and trace minerals such as selenium, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, and manganese. Farmers mix PhosSure 12 with salt in a one-to-one ratio to ensure the lick contains 6% phosphate.

Ludi Wichmann from Ignisdale and Nick de Beer from Yara Animal Nutrition.

 

Yara also produces PhosSure 6, which they pre-mix with salt at the factory and sell directly to farmers. “The phosphate we use is manufactured by us, and we are the largest phosphate producer in South Africa. This means we know we have high-quality phosphate; it is not an imported product where the quality often varies,” says Nick.

What makes PhosSure unique is its weather resistance. PhosSure forms a protective layer over the lick when it becomes damp or wet. Water cannot penetrate this layer, keeping the product underneath dry and ensuring no loss when rain falls into the lick troughs. The protective layer forms due to molasses powder added to PhosSure. This serves a dual purpose — not only does it keep the lick dry, but molasses also has a pleasant taste for cattle, ensuring they consume the lick.

Nick explains that other companies have tried to imitate PhosSure, but because it is not an easy product to manufacture, Yara Animal Nutrition remains the only company that has perfected this formula and has delivered high-quality lick for more than 36 years. Although PhosSure 12 was Yara’s first weather-resistant product, they later introduced PhosSure 6 and subsequently PhosPro 17, which is essentially PhosSure 6 but with feed-grade urea added to provide an additional 17% protein along with the phosphate supplement.

Ludi says he can see the results in the condition of his cattle. “We have a phosphate and trace mineral deficiency in our region, and we use PhosSure to supplement this. Vaccines also work much better when animals are healthy,” he adds. He explains that over the years, he has only received excellent service from Yara Animal Nutrition and has been recommending their products to other farmers for years. The winter lick recipe he developed, which includes PhosSure, is already well-known among his neighbours and other farmers in the area.

Visit Yara Animal Nutrition’s website at www.yara.co.za/animal-nutrition to learn more about their products.