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Chemical industry pioneer
The history of the modern Yara company dates back to 1905 when Norsk Hydro produced calcium nitrate. The fertilizer producer was a fast expanding business. In 1928 the company was licensed to use a new method of ammonia production, and since 1938 began producing NPK fertilizers. In 1967 Hydro started oil exploration in the North Sea. The company also expanded actively by acquiring fertilizer producers in other countries. Since 1979, Hydro, then Yara, has taken over 10 companies around the world.
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Global expansion
With fertilizer production, Yara aims at improving global food security. This is the company's strategic objective. Yara is guided by the fact that the world's population is growing, and by 2050 there will be 9 bln people on the planet. By that time, 60% more food will have to be produced in that same area.
Yara provides crop nutrition solutions to 20 mln agriproducers worldwide. It works to boost their profitability by helping to feed 220 mln people. The company employs 17,000 people around the world. In 2018, it generated USD 12.9 bln of revenue. |
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Leading fertilizer producer
Yara is the world's largest producer of ammonia, nitrates, calcium nitrate and NPK. With access to phosphate mines, the company is also expanding its phosphate portfolio. Its production base includes over 20 production plants around the world, including ammonia plants and other facilities producing urea, nitric acid, nitrates, NPK and phosphate. The international company's research centres, global offices and production facilities are located in America, Europe, Africa and Asia. In 2018, the company marketed 28.5 mln t of fertilizers. Sales of products for industry amounted to 7.7 mln t and trade in ammonia to 2.5 mln t.
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Digital Farming
The company develops various digital solutions providing significant benefits to farmers, including cost optimization opportunities for fertilizer application. Four digital hubs have been created and are in operation: in Europe (Berlin), Asia (Singapore), North America (San Francisco) and Latin America (Sao Paulo). The company has a large set of digital tools and services. For example, in March 2018, Yara launched the Atfarm app for creating differential application maps featuring a choice of nutrition models. The company also developed N-Sensor equipment, which is installed on a tractor and allows to optimize the application of nitrogen in each specific area of the field.
In 2019, the company introduced YaraIrix, an app-based solution used with the N-clip tool that turns a smartphone into a sophisticated nutrient sensor. |
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Ukraine
In 2007, Yara acquired Kemira GrowHow and Yara Ukraine started operating on the basis of its former office. Since 2016 the representative office is headed by Yurii Tkachuk.
In the Ukrainian market, the company focuses on the premium segment. It markets NPK fertilizers, a large portfolio of products designed to cover all aspects of crop nutrition. Yara also promotes its digital technologies to improve the yield and quality of crops. In particular, besides the aforementioned Atfarm and N-Sensor, the company also offers N-Tester™ for the Ukrainian market, a portable device enabling a quick and accurate establishment of a crop's nitrogen status. In addition, Yara CheckIT, a smartphone app, is offered for easy and quick identification of possible crop nutrient deficiencies. Tankmix™ is an online service outlining the mixability of YaraVita™ fertilizers with crop protection products. |
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Company owners
The state has its share in Yara — the Norwegian government (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries) owns 36.2% of company stock. 30.34% of the shares are owned by institutional investors.
In 2004, following its demerger with Norsk Hydro, the company listed its shares on the Oslo Stock Exchange, the main market for trading in the shares of Norwegian companies. Moreover, Yara International is included in the OBX index, a key stock market index which lists the 25 most liquid companies represented on the exchange. |
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Innovation segment
Care for the environment is one of Yara's priorities.
In partnership with Kongsberg (project launched in 2017), Yara designed and commissioned the world's first fully electric and autonomous zero-emission container ship. It operates on solar power without human involvement. With this vessel, the company will reduce the usage of diesel trucks by 40 thou. trips per year. Building a vessel of this type will cost about USD 25 mln. It is one third higher than the cost of a conventional container ship of this size, but the use of electricity and the absence of crew on board should reduce operating costs by 90%. |
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Science
Yara has the largest research centre among private companies in the world, "The Institute for Crop Nutrition and Environmental Research" in Hanninghof, Germany. The company annually invests considerable resources in the development of new technologies. The centre employs Yara specialists who work closely with the world's leading universities, among other things. The core areas of work are the development of new forms of fertilizer as well as new plant nutrition technologies.
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Significant outcomes
20 million farmers in 60 countries worldwide effectively use Yara products.
The company's performance enables the provision of food to more than 300 million people. |
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Cannes Film Festival winner
In Septemeber 2019, Yara and the Copenhagen Film Company (CFC) won the Silver Dolphin in Internal Communications for their film "From Earth to Table". This is a 2-minute video addressing one of the most important questions — how to prevent famine and feed the world. The film opens "Mineral fertilizer has saved more lives than any other invention that mankind has created."
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