The growth in cropping areas and favourable livestock prices throughout southern NSW in recent years has seen a major increase in the use of quality agricultural lime in the region.

Tom Harrington, who operates Harrington's Spreadmasters, from a base in Henty in the Riverina, said an application of ag lime meant farmers were growing better crops, grazing more stock and making more money.

“There are some really big believers in lime and people see the benefit.”

While the majority of his clients put out rates around 2.5 tonnes per hectare, Mr Harrington said some were moving to variable rates to match soil testing.

He said pH mapping was conducted and data hooked into their spreader software to determine the rates of lime in different parts of the paddocks.

The JCB spreaders cross the paddock and the rates vary from minimal rates per hectare right through to six tonnes designed to address low pH areas.

Mr Harrington said soils along the east coast of Australia were typically acidic and the Riverina region was particularly challenging.

He said crops such as canola were big users of lime and, with good livestock prices in recent years, there has also been an increase in the liming of pastures.

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On one particular pasture paddock three tonnes of lime per hectare was applied at the start of the year and produced excellent feed throughout the season.

“The sheep can't get it back,” Mr Harrington said.  “I've got three hundred ewes grazing on this paddock and I think the application of lime has changed the profile."

“The more grass you grow, the more lime you are going to need.  You just have to keep adding it.  It is just part of this country.  If you want to grow grass you've got to put lime down.”

Lime used through the Harrington spreaders is sourced from the Sibelco plant at Galong located north-west of the ACT.

Mr Harrington said they had been sourcing lime from Galong for six to seven years and found the quality and service to be excellent.

“Their product is getting better and better every year.  I am finding accessibility is good and it’s a quick turnaround.  Our main business is lime and we really need a quick turnaround to be up and back in a day.  If we send the trucks up there we know we can get 120 tonnes back in a day and get it out on paddock.

He said they used a number of products from the Galong mine, with the finer 250 ag lime preferred for their clients.

“There's quite a few pits north but the Galong  Sibelco lime is as good as you'll get it.  They've also got a coarser lime which is not as quick reacting but I find there's a client base out there that really utilise that lime.”

He said clients preparing paddocks for crops such as canola, vetches and grain legumes would use larger applications of the 250 ag lime.

“It tests as good as any other lime in the area.”

The coarser lime is often used on pasture crops where they are topping up their lime requirements rather than looking for a quick fix.

Mr Harrington said his clients would normally order their lime requirement in late spring and have it applied after harvest.

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