Our History

PFP Fertilisers was founded by Rodger McMillan, driven by his personal experiences with the benefits of fine particle lime applications. Here’s Rodger’s story:

"Initially, my interest in the benefits of fine particle lime was purely by chance. My son Jim, who was flying helicopters at the time, formed a relationship with Andrew De Lautour, who was producing lime prills in Putaruru. Jim suggested I give Andrew's product a try. After speaking with some farmers in the area who were already using Andrew's lime prills, I decided to apply them on my own property. 

Much like the farmers I spoke with, I was amazed at the immediate, noticeable improvement in grass growth, plant health, and the increase in clover, where there had previously been none. Most importantly, I saw a marked improvement in soil pH. Given the results I had experienced on my own farm, I was eager to compare the costs of using Ag lime versus lime prills to achieve a similar result. 

Ag lime was cheaper on a cost-per-tonne basis, but when I factored in freight and aerial application costs — and multiplied by the tonnes required — I found that lime prills were far more economical on a per-hectare basis, offering similar improvements in soil pH. 

For the next few years, I continued to source lime prills from Andrew in Putaruru. Eventually, one thing led to another, and PFP Fertilisers was formed, with Andrew as my business partner. At the time, I was motivated by the noticeable benefits of fine particle lime and believed it would make a real difference for farmers, so I moved ahead with launching the company. 

A key focus for Andrew was developing our factory operations to grind ultra-fine particle lime flour to create lime prills. Andrew knew that the finer the lime particle, the more effective it would be. Smaller particles allow for a quicker response time in raising soil pH, and from a cost-per-hectare perspective, using a finer grade of lime meant less product was needed to achieve the same result. 

In the early days of PFP, we faced significant resistance — what I often refer to as the 'world is flat' brigade. Many in the industry were sceptical about the benefits of ultra-fine particle lime and the advantages of reduced application rates compared to traditional Ag-lime. To get our message across, we had to look to offshore research to support our findings. Andrew’s persistence played a key role in pushing this message, which we still carry forward on our website today. 

Today, as more companies in New Zealand are supplying fine particle lime solutions, the benefits of products like fine particle lime prills and fluidised lime are becoming more widely understood and accepted across the industry, which is very encouraging.  

Of course, I still apply lime prills on my own farm today, just as I did when I first saw the remarkable benefits for myself."