Yara Acquires German Water Sensor Company

Yara International has acquired the German water sensor company ZIM Plant Technology GmbH.

Advertisement

ZIM Plant Technology sells crop water sensor technology, which is mostly used in high-precision irrigation systems to improve yields and water use efficiency.

“We will incorporate the knowledge and technology into Yara’s existing crop nutrition solutions, providing a valuable add-on for our offering to irrigated farming. This clearly improves Yara’s leadership position within the growing fertigation segment,” says SVP and Head of Downstream Egil Hogna.

Hogna indicated that farmers’ motivation to purchase the technology is reduced water consumption, increased yields, and improved crop quality. Integrating the water precision tool with Yara’s knowledge about precise application of water soluble and liquid fertilizer (fertigation) is a good fit.

“This is a strategic step for Yara into a new segment of the precision farming business, and it is also a response to our creating impact strategy of addressing resource scarcity,” says Hogna.

Top Articles
Have a Plan For Climate Change? Why Fruit Growers Need To Act Now

Freshwater availability is predicted to become one of the major global challenges. Currently, agriculture uses about 70% of freshwater withdrawals. If water use efficiency is not improved, by 2030 the agricultural sector alone will need more water than is sustainably available. As a conservative estimate, the water sensor technology reduces water usage by 20%.

Closing of the deal subject to normal conditions is expected on Jan. 1, 2014.

Source: Yara International news release

0