Our Ethos
“Our need to produce sufficient food at an affordable price has become increasingly challenging. Working with nature to deliver higher crop yields through the multiplier effect of Waikaitu’s products, is an effective way to meet these challenges.”
Growers are finding that crop yields have plateaued, whilst production costs continue to increase, and regulatory environmental compliance has become increasingly demanding. It is clear, that we need to look to alternative ways of capturing peak production whilst reducing our impact on the environment. Growers are increasingly looking for farming practices that are not only economically viable but also environmentally regenerative.
It can be done. Humanity is slowly starting to understand the complexity and value of a well-functioning soil environment. Not just the physical and chemical soil properties, but also the importance of the multitude of microorganisms that create a nourishing living system that play a crucial role in growing healthy and resilient plants that feed us all. The addition of bioactive substances and trace elements promote the plant’s stress resilience and reduce the need for synthetic fertilisers which minimises our impact on the environment.
These are not new ideas — they have been tried and tested for years on a variety of crops — growing under various environmental conditions. Waikaitu strives to produce carefully formulated products that stand out amongst other offerings in a rapidly maturing industry. The portfolio of Waikaitu products support a more sustainable farming model whilst ensuring high levels of efficacy, safety, stability with application ease, high production quality and consistency:
• Revitalising the biology in the soil to support plant growth and productivity
(FishBoost and NZBioAmino)
• Increasing photosynthesis and stress resilience (NZBioActive)
• Buffering products to reduce harm to soil biology by reducing the need for synthetic chemical products
(NZBioAmino and LignoHumate)
Our goal is to create healthy soils — rich in nutrients, high in biodiversity and sequestered carbon resulting in healthy plants, and farming practises which are in balance with nature.
Waikaitu provides the food growing industry with superior innovative bio-solutions and exceptional support to enable farming practices that are better for the planet and better for business.
The solution lies just beneath the surface.
Bio-stimulants from seaweed and other natural sources can play an important role in helping to enhance the performance of our farming practices. Innovation surrounding seaweed-derived fertilisers and organic bio-stimulants have a significant role to play in overcoming the challenges facing our planet, helping to replace harmful and potentially toxic fertilisers and pesticides. For our products, Waikaitu exclusively use extracts from the brown alga species Undaria pinnatifida, which is invasive to New Zealand. The seaweed is harvested from mussel lines in the pristine Marlborough Sounds located on the top of the South Island of New Zealand.
By removing this invasive species from the water, the spread of viable spores is reduced, minimising their impact on the marine environment. New Zealand mussel farmers also derive additional revenue from seaweed harvesting which enriches local communities. Waikaitu utilise a natural and gentle extraction process for the seaweed that does not rely on harsh chemicals or heat, making it suitable as an input for organic farming with a small energy footprint.
Waikaitu build trust with their customers by providing high-quality ISO9001-certified, concentrated organic products that perform at a cost-effective price and are proud to have created a unique line of products which are successful in New Zealand and around the world.
