Cooperation Agreement with the NGO Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) signed
Project is to improve the productivity, self-sufficiency and income of small-scale farmers in Uganda
Training in the proper use of fertilizers
Great potential for the development of agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa
At the ceremonial signing of an agreement in Kassel today, K+S and the non-governmental organisation Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) announced the launch of their joint “Growth for Uganda” African project. The goal is to develop agricultural consultancy services in the East African country with a view to increasing productivity among small-scale farmers as well as improving their self-sufficiency in food and their income situation.
“We are delighted to be able to launch the aid project together with our competent partner, Sasakawa, and we firmly believe that both the farmers and people in Uganda as well as we ourselves will benefit from this over the long term,” said Norbert Steiner, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of K+S Aktiengesellschaft, speaking at today’s signing of the agreement, which took place at the headquarters of the Company in Kassel.
Together with its partner Sasakawa, K+S wants to establish a mobile teaching unit to train plant cultivation consultants amongst others. In addition, best management practices are to be developed for the cultivation of regionally typical crops (e.g., corn, cassava). This will include both those crops that ensure the feeding of farmers as well as those that farmers can sell to earn an income. K+S is in turn becoming very familiar with the situation of small-scale farmers on the ground, gaining new insights into the functioning of the local markets, and can better tailor the range of goods that it offers towards African needs over the long term. This results in a transfer of knowledge from which both sides benefit over the long-term.
Uganda, which is located in East Africa, has great agricultural development potential that has to be tapped into, and K+S wants to participate in. The soil is quite good, but may be lacking in some important nutrients (such as potassium), and only a small percentage of the fields are irrigated. About one third (31%) of Uganda’s rapidly growing population of just under 35 million inhabitants lives in poverty and about 8 million are food-insecure. About 66 % of the population lives in the countryside and is dependent on being self-sufficient. The composition of Uganda’s soil is comparable to that of Brazil. In terms of fertilizer use, which is less than 1 kg per hectare of land under cultivation, Uganda displays a comparable degree of backlog demand (by comparison: Sub-Saharan Africa 3 kg/ha, all Africa 8 kg/ha).
About the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA)
The Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) is an international agricultural development non-governmental organisation registered in Geneva/Switzerland. It was co-founded in 1986 by Japanese philanthropist Ryoichi Sasakawa, Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, and former US President Jimmy Carter. The SAA cooperates with the Carter Center’s Global 2000 Program for the development of agricultural projects in 14 sub-Saharan countries. The SAA is currently focussing its resources on the African countries of Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mali and Uganda. Along with national partners, the SAA projects provide support to smallholder farmers by encouraging the adoption of higher-yielding varieties and enhanced production practices. More information about the SAA at www.saa-safe.org.
About K+S
The K+S Group is one of the world's leading suppliers of standard and speciality fertilizers. In the salt business, K+S is the world’s leading producer with sites in Europe as well as North and South America. K+S offers a comprehensive range of goods and services for agriculture, industry, and private consumers, which provides growth opportunities in virtually every sphere of daily life. The K+S Group employs more than 14,000 people worldwide. The K+S share – the commodities stock on the German DAX index – is listed on all German stock exchanges (ISIN: DE000KSAG888, symbol: SDF). More information about K+S at www.k-plus-s.com.
Within the K+S Group, K+S KALI GmbH is responsible for the Potash and Magnesium Products area. In six mines in Germany, the Company mines salts containing potash, magnesium and sulphur and produces a wide range of high-quality products from them for the agricultural, industrial, healthcare and food sectors. In addition, consulting is a key element in the range of services offered by the business unit. A team of consultants, consisting of regional consultants as well as globally active agriculturalists, provide important information and suggestions for innovations in relation to the use of fertilizers in agriculture. More information at www.kali-gmbh.com.